Hi Marvin,
Been thinking about this stuff for a while.
It is brilliant that you want to build housing for victims of domestic violence, but there are practicalities around it that you may not have considered.
Moving costs, furnishing costs, safety costs.
Having somewhere to move to is a brilliant start, but it is only the start. It costs money to move, and many women will have had their financial independence taken away from them as part of the abuse. They will certainly not have money for removals or deposits or furnishings.
Also, there are issues around ongoing safety and mental health provision, education and publicity.
Don't think for a minute that this email is going to be all about the negative. I have some ideas. Some of them will already be in place but may need drawing together, some of them may not be possible, but I would like it to be the basis for the start of a conversation about how we view abuse in all its forms.
So, housing is just the start. I am overjoyed to hear that you want to build a LOT more of it in affordable form. But in the meantime? How about when you work with Acorn and the like over the Landlord Charter that you include that all private landlords have to register all their properties they have to let, that a certain percentage must go for social housing (no children, no pets, no DSS is one of the most disheartening things you will ever see when trying to escape) and out of that some of it must go to victims of abuse. Also, there will need to be safeguarding and confidentiality training for landlords and tenants alike.
So, family gets a potential new home. How to get into it? Deposits are expensive, and Landlords rightly expect them as they are taking a risk. How about a deposit guarantee scheme? There probably is one, but I am not aware of it if there is, nor of the criteria or how often it is used.
So, deposit sorted. How do they get there? The abuse victim will likely have been isolated from friends and family and may not know anyone with a van. Anyone she may ask may have links to her abuser so won't be safe. How about we ask removals firms to commit to one free move a month for domestic abuse victims? Wouldn't cost them much and would be a brilliant profile raiser for local businesses. Maybe even do a charter mark kind of thing, like the Royal warrant but saying that they are not prepared to stand by while women get abused to put on their vans. Get art students to design it and posters around it etc.
Could link this to an awareness campaign on domestic violence and gaslighting.
So, they move in. And end up sitting on the moving crates as there is very little furniture they managed to bring with them as it happens. The kids don't have beds yet and mum is wondering if she should just go back so the kids have somewhere to sleep. This is where a grant for furniture would come in, maybe paid in the form of a voucher to be used at the recycled furniture place on West Street or the like. I don't know if this is already happening but if it is, I would like to see it more widely publicised and more parts of the community being involved in a cohesive, joined up way.
So, they move in and have furniture. Safe now? Not always. There are an alarming amount of women who are killed by their ex partners who track them down after they leave refuges. So, we will need security. Proper locks. Proper Windows. Proper alarms that lead somewhere and get a response. A buddy system. That sort of thing. Much like getting removals companies involved, we could get security firms to get involved and get a charter mark logo too.
Better still, get women empowered to run it themselves.
So, got somewhere to live, moved in, have furniture, are physically as safe as possible. Now what?
Healing. I want to see a situation where there is automatic referral and treatment for victims of abuse with proper follow up. No body gets left behind. And yes there will be issues with resources, so train survivors to do it. Give them help. Integrate it as part of the campaign to protect CAHMS. Join it all up. Prevent is about anti radicalisation of our youth. How about this as a radical idea. Stop.
So, not sure how much will be possible and I don't know how much you will agree with but I have a dream of a Bristol where women are safe. Where they know where to go for help and are empowered to support themselves and each other.
I want refuges to be extra safe spaces. I want women to know how to get out and to know that they will be safe and understood if they do and safe and supported and understood if they don't.
I want to see a joined up approach.
I want the violence to Stop.
