Victims of domestic violence are forced to live in “traumatic” homes, which may not even have a working kitchen or toilet, Sky News found.
Our investigation documents the state of social housing provided to tens of thousands of survivors in the United Kingdom.
Testimonies of women and children housed in properties without windows, without furniture, insect infestations, broken kitchens and defective toilets have been collected.
And we have gathered evidence that some local authorities are breaking the law and not meeting the needs of some of the most vulnerable in the country.
Image: “Aisha’s accommodation is infested with ants
Lawyer Easy Mulholland of the Public Service Legal Center told Sky News: “Almost every day I am disappointed and angry because I have to protect people who do not need protection.
“And the most frustrating thing – and it seems ridiculous – is that we win. This means that local authorities accept that they are acting illegally. And we don’t just win some of the cases, we win almost all the time.
“And it’s so frustrating because it means that if a lawyer gets involved, he will provide the service he always has to provide. My work should not be necessary.
Only one in three victims of violence is admitted to shelters because most are full or closed due to government cuts.
If they cannot enter the shelter, the victims are accommodated in the so-called temporary accommodation by the local authorities.
And now there are more women who need help than ever, according to the UK’s largest charity, Refuge. Last year saw a 22% increase in people receiving support from the National Domestic Violence Helpline. All major political parties agree that something needs to be done.
Image: Lawyer Easy Mulholland says he protects people who “shouldn’t need protection”
We were invited to meet a mother who was staying at a B&B in London. The law says vulnerable people should not stay in this type of property for more than six weeks.
But the family we spoke to had lived there for more than two years. Aisha and her three children live their lives in a small room without windows, without a table and chairs, a broken stove, a broken shower and an ant infestation.
She told us: “When I first arrived, I thought I would get some support. I was told that I would only be here for a while before we had a new home, but we are still here. They don’t support me or my children. There’s nothing we can do here.
“We just lie on the bed and sleep. That is all. That’s all we can do. I’ve asked the council several times, but they say I’m not at high risk. “
She added: “Sometimes I feel like I live on the street because I don’t have a house. It’s like I’m homeless. I feel like I’m in jail. I don’t even know when it’s sunny or raining outside.
“I never thought that life would be like this. That my children would suffer like this. I would endure all the suffering in the world, but I can’t bear to watch my children suffer.”
Image: Aisha says she feels like she’s in jail
Sky News did not identify the local authority responsible for the family to protect the family’s identity, but after our evidence was presented, the council said it would organize an urgent inspection of the property and help them find “suitable accommodation.”
The government has pledged £ 125m in emergency accommodation for victims of domestic violence this year, but charities helping survivors say that’s not enough.
Labor MP Jess Phillips has been campaigning on the issue for years, saying women and children are housed in “dangerous and uncomfortable places that are not suitable for human habitation”.
She told Sky News: “Women expect to go out and be provided with reasonable services and it is a great, huge thing to get rid of such exploitation.
“And what they find is exactly what their perpetrator promised them. They find a system that doesn’t trust them, that treats them like animals, that puts them in dangerous situations, and a lot of them will describe it as going from one hell to another. “
“People often tell me, and I hear it over and over again, ‘I can get over the things that happened to me, the trauma that happened to me. I can’t overcome how traumatic the process was for me and my family. “
Image: Labor MP Jess Phillips says people live in “uninhabitable” accommodation
All major political parties agree that the situation with victims of domestic violence needs to improve.
We asked the government for an interview with a minister about the findings of our investigation. They said no one was available, but made the following statement from Eddie Hughes, Minister of Rough Sleep and Housing: “It is absolutely vital that victims of domestic violence and their children across the country have access to practical and emotional support to help them rebuild their lives in a safe environment.
“Since April 2021, we have provided £ 250 million to counselors across England to ensure that safe accommodation, such as shelters, can provide victims with vital support services, including counseling and therapy, child support and support for advocacy for access to health care, social workers and benefits. “
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