Camden steps up housing support for those experiencing domestic abuse
Camden Council has published its first housing support handbook to ensure those experiencing domestic abuse know their legal rights and have access to the right support.
Around one in ten people that make a homeless application in Camden have stated that the reason they were homeless was due to domestic abuse.
That’s why this week, Camden published a new Housing and Domestic Abuse Policy alongside its first survivors’ handbook to ensure those who are experiencing domestic abuse have access to clear information about their housing and legal rights and what housing support is available.
Both the policy and ‘Know Your Rights’ handbook have been created with people with lived experience of domestic abuse and those who have experience with housing insecurity and homelessness to ensure the right support is provided to those who need it.
The policy sets out Camden’s response to anyone experiencing domestic abuse, including working quickly with partners to respond to survivors’ needs and ensuring staff receive specialist training to help recognise the signs of different forms of abuse and can signpost to available help.
Alongside this, Camden published a detailed handbook which includes information on housing and legal rights as a council tenant, how to make living at home safer and more secure, legal options for removing a perpetrator of abuse and advice on how to move to a safe address.
It’s heartbreaking that the number of lettings made to Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) survivors has increased each year since 2019. People should feel safe at home and as your landlord, we will always support you - there are lots of different options and ways that we can help, including support to leave your home and providing access to long-term safe housing.
We are doing all we can in Camden to tackle DVA and we will continue to drive this work forward – we are clear that domestic abuse has no place in our council homes.
A domestic abuse survivor who was involved in co-designing the handbook, said: “When you're literally just about surviving while trying to keep everything together for your family; your home situation and stability is everything. Navigating that was not easy for me, and it turns out for so many others. So, it made sense that we pour ourselves into creating a handbook so that anyone else facing a journey like ours has all the information to hand and can easily access it multiple times – if needed.
“But more than anything we hope you know that within these pages we're silently willing you on, things will improve, let us through this handbook take your hand and help lead you forward.”
Domestic abuse can happen to anyone regardless of age, gender, race, culture or sexual orientation. If someone harms you or controls you emotionally, financially, sexually or physically this is abuse.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, please know there is support available. We’re here and we can help. Call Camden Safety Net on 020 7974 2526. You can also call the National Domestic Helpline 24/7 on 0808 2000 247. If you are in an emergency, please call 999.
For more information and a list of all our partner organisations providing support, visit camden.gov.uk/domestic-abuse.
To read the policy and handbook in full, visit our webpage.