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Temporary Accommodation
If it is not safe for her to stay at home, or if she needs some space to consider her options, there are a number of different types of temporary accommodation, which may be available. These could include refuges, hostels or furnished supported accommodation. There are also specific projects offering accommodation solely for Asian women and to vulnerable young women. Whichever type of accommodation, the address should be kept secret to protect the safety of herself and others.
Refuges
Refuges are safe houses offering temporary accommodation to women and children escaping domestic violence. Any woman who needs to escape from domestic violence or abuse can go into a refuge at any time. It does not matter whether she is married to or living with the abuser, or whether or not she has children.
However, some women with insecure immigration status will have limited options if they have no money and no entitlement to claim benefits (no recourse to public funds). There are however some refuges that will accept women in this situation and Social Services may be approached for help for women and children as they will in some cases have a duty to support them (see Immigration section)
Most refuges have an upper age limit for accommodating boys, usually 12 or 14 years of age. This is due to the difficulties of accommodating older boys in shared rooms.
There are refuges all over the UK. Some refuges have space for many women and children. Some are small houses. Many refuges have disabled access, and staff and volunteers who can assist women and children who have special needs. Most Birmingham refuges have self-contained family units but others will provide a woman and her children with a room to themselves and require them to share communal areas such as kitchen, bathrooms, lounge and any playrooms or garden.
Women are expected to cook for themselves and their children and can be as self-contained or as sociable as they want. Refuges have their own codes of conduct regarding the day-to-day running of the house. These usually cover things like incoming telephone calls and rotas for using the washing machine.
All Birmingham refuges have specialist children’s workers who provide structured activities for children. Family Support workers can assist in arrangements for children to attend local schools or nurseries and help children with the transition.
Women in refuges must keep the refuge address confidential.
An interactive tour of a refuge is available at www.womensaid.org
There is now one phone number to obtain a place in a refuge in the city, Birmingham Domestic Abuse Refugeline. This service can also be used to find space in refuges outside Birmingham.
Other sources of temporary accommodation
Refuge accommodation is not always suitable or available to all those experiencing domestic violence. Other sources of temporary accommodation will include supported housing and furnished housing.
Midland Heart Domestic Violence Team offers supported housing to women and children experiencing domestic violence. They focus particularly on those with larger families or older boys who may find difficulty accessing refuge accommodation.
Paying for both your home and a refuge
If a woman is entitled to housing benefit and has left home because of domestic violence or the threat of domestic violence, she can receive housing benefit on both the temporary accommodation and her original address for a short period of time if the local authority considers it reasonable. The violence must have occurred in the home, or be from a member or ex- member of the family. Payment for two homes applies only if survivor intends to return to her former home as soon as she feels it is safe to do so.
Staying with family and friends
If she is planning to stay temporarily with friends or family, discuss how safe this is for her and her family. The suitability of this option depends on the level of support a friend or relative can provide. Sometimes family may put additional pressure on the woman to stay in the relationship, they may not be able or willing to accommodate her for very long and may encourage her to go back home and ‘make it work’. She may be made to feel that she is to blame for the situation.
The perpetrator is more likely to guess where she is and may put pressure on her to return. He may have more opportunity to follow the woman and intimidate or attack her or the people with whom she is staying.
If she chooses to stay with friends or family, she should receive advice on protection that the civil law can offer. See legal section.
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