Domestic abuse and homelessness
If you're at risk of becoming homeless because of domestic abuse there is help available.
Call the police on 999 now if:
- your or your children’s safety is threatened
- you are injured or at risk of injury.
If you are in immediate danger then leave now.
You may be entitled to emergency accommodation.
Try to take essentials with you:
- a change of clothes, toiletries and any medication you need to take regularly
- proof of benefits, National Insurance number, birth certificates for you and your family, photo ID
- your passport, bank and credit cards and mobile phone
- immigration documents (if you are not originally from the UK).
Call us at Housing Options on 01332 888777.
Alternatively, you can speak with an advisor from Refuge free on 0800 0853481.
Get advice and help if you are thinking through your options
Don't make a decision to give up your home permanently until you have spoken to an adviser and considered all your options. You can get advice and talk through your options confidentially with us at Housing Options on 01332 888777.
You will be asked to provide details of your situation (where possible). You can bring a friend or an adviser with you for support to any appointment.
Other organisations
There are also other organisations you can contact for help:
- Refuge - National Domestic Abuse Helpline. Free call on 0808 2000247
- Respect - Men's Advice Line. Free call on 0808 8010327
- Galop - National LGBT Domestic Violence Helpline, Call on 0800 9995428.
Where you can go
There are options you can consider.
If it is a safe option, you could stay with friends or relatives while you think about what to do next.
If you're a woman leaving domestic abuse, you may want to approach a women's refuge, where additional support is available. You will be assigned your own support worker, who will assess your current and future needs, including rehousing.
You will be able to bring your children with you to a refuge.
For more information about refuges, contact Refuge the National Domestic Abuse Helpline. Free call on 0808 2000247.
If you are man who has to leave home because of domestic abuse, contact us at Housing Options. Call 01332 888777 (choose option 4).
There is limited specialist housing for men experiencing domestic abuse, however there will still be options and support available to you.
We may be able to secure your home through our Sanctuary Scheme and assign you an outreach worker.
The Sanctuary Scheme carries out safety works in your home such as changing locks, fire proof letter boxes and panic rooms. This is a free service accessed through your housing advisor, housing association or the police.
If you are a child or a young person experiencing domestic abuse
If you or someone else in your family is being hurt at home, you may not be sure what you can do about it.
The first thing is to tell someone else about what is happening:
- you can tell a teacher, a neighbour, a friend or a friend's parent.
- you can call Childline on 0800 1111 for free. They won't tell anyone else you are calling unless you are in immediate danger. They can tell you about places where you can get help.
Domestic abuse is not your fault and you won't get into trouble for telling someone about it.
You can find more information at The Hideout.
Further information around domestic abuse
For more information visit our Domestic abuse pages