Domestic abusers face eviction as survivors gain housing rights

Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Team from a report by Gov.UK Housing. Read the original article for full details.

Domestic abusers face eviction as survivors gain housing rights

For the first time, domestic abuse survivors will be protected in social housing law without having to flee, helping them keep their tenancy and stay safely in their home while the perpetrator is made to leave. A new measure tabled for the Social Housing Bill will stop survivors having to prove abuse again where a protection order is already in place.

The proposals strengthen reforms in the Bill that will protect joint tenancies from abusive partners, helping end the choice between staying in danger and losing a home and support network.

What this means for social housing

Council tenants will also get stronger support to take charge of repairs, maintenance and communal services through a simpler Right to Manage, giving residents a clearer route to demand better when services fail. Together, the reforms will put tenants first, raise standards and protect social homes, alongside the biggest investment in new social and affordable housing in a generation.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: "No survivor should have to choose between staying with their abuser or losing their home, community and support network. We are changing the law so the perpetrator, not the survivor, can be made to leave. Abusers will no longer be able to use a shared home as a weapon of control. Survivors will get the certainty of knowing their tenancy and their social home are protected. We are also putting power back in tenants' hands so they can demand better when services fail, while protecting the social homes communities need for generations to come."

Protecting social homes and tackling homelessness

New laws will help keep more social homes in the hands of communities, giving councils and housing associations twice as long to consider buying them before they leave the sector, alongside better information to help them make that decision. Recognising that affordable homes can be particularly difficult to replace in rural communities, councils will have more control over protecting eligible areas from the Right to Buy, with the wider package of reforms expected to keep an additional 18,000 homes in the social sector over the next decade.

Alongside our £442 million investment to tackle rough sleeping, the Bill will also help tackle homelessness earlier by requiring councils and public services to identify people at risk and work together before they lose their home, while housing associations will be required to offer suitable homes to households referred by councils unless there is good reason not to. Veterans will also face fewer barriers to getting help, with plans to ensure they can seek homelessness support from any council in England regardless of local connection rules.

Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, said: "Housing associations strongly support the government's objectives in the Social Housing Bill to safeguard our social homes for future generations, tackle homelessness and to strengthen protections for survivors of domestic abuse. No one should be forced to lose their home to escape abuse. We strongly welcome new powers to protect survivors' ability to remain safely in their homes and reduce their risk of homelessness. With almost 180,000 children growing up in temporary accommodation, we need councils, housing associations, mayors and the government all working together to end the housing crisis. Housing associations are committed to tackling homelessness in all its forms, as well as other damaging consequences of our broken housing system, such as overcrowding. We will continue to work with government to ensure these proposals deliver on our shared objectives, while strengthening our partnerships with councils to help more families access safe, secure and affordable homes."