All women needa safe, secure, comfortable place to stay
Finding safe, secure accommodation and housing can be a challenge for women and girls leaving prison and in contact with the criminal justice system. With a shortage of stable, affordable accommodation solutions available to women, particularly when they are released from prison, women’s organisations face an increasing demand for support services relating to women’s accommodation needs.
Women’s accommodation support needs are often related to other complex factors including:
Homelessness: Women experiencing homelessness often face heightened vulnerability. Factors such as domestic violence, financial instability, or family breakdowns can lead to situations where women are without a home or are forced to live in temporary or unsuitable conditions.
Domestic violence: Women fleeing abusive relationships may struggle to find safe, secure housing. Leaving an abusive situation can be incredibly difficult, and finding immediate, safe accommodation is a critical need for those escaping violence.
Financial hardship: Financial difficulties, linked to unemployment, low wages, or other economic pressures, can lead to struggles with paying rent or maintaining a stable home. Women facing financial hardship often need support to avoid eviction and secure affordable housing.
Housing instability: For many women, instability in housing can come from renting in insecure situations, facing the risk of eviction, or dealing with substandard living conditions. Stability in housing is crucial for overall well-being and security.
Family responsibilities: Women with children or dependents often encounter additional barriers to finding suitable accommodation and balancing family responsibilities with the need for stable housing can be particularly challenging.
Accessing support and advice related to their housing can be an important step to helping women rebuild their lives in a safe and stable environment when they leave prison and resettle into their communities.
SelectedAccommodation support services
We have curated the following shortlist of women’s organisations, women’s centres and specialist women’s organisations that can offer support, advice and signposting to accommodation support services in the UK. You can also search for accommodation support services near you by using our search facility
A Home of Her Own
Kairos’ A Home of Her Own service supports women subject to or at risk of sexual exploitation, who are homeless or facing homelessness, to secure and maintain safe, suitable accommodation. A Home of Her Own offers support across three pathways – crisis, prevention and sustainment.
Finance and Housing Support
Get support with: – 1-2-1 debt. – Welfare. – Benefits. – Universal Credit. – ESA – Employment & Support Allowance. – PIP – Personnel Independent Payment.
Supported Housing (mainstay)
We are a member of a supported housing consortium for homeless adults, we provide supported short term housing to homeless individuals with housing related support. Venus are unable to accept direct referrals for this service, please contact Sefton Council for mainstay access points.
Anawim Accommodation Support
We have a specialist housing officer who has built up good links with good quality housing in the city and provides resources to the other caseworkers. Along with our drop in workers they can provide support with tenancy issues, evictions, rough landlords etc.
Hope Street Residential Hub
Hope Street offers: A residential hub with 24-hour support, purpose built and specifically designed to create a trauma-informed, gender responsive environment for women and their children.
Supported Accommodation
Robinson Court in York provides holistic support for women and young people, with the aim of helping people build brighter futures for themselves and their families. Alongside our supported accommodation, we offer support in other areas of people’s lives, such as helping them access health appointments and working towards employment or volunteering. Ridley Villas
We offer: – One-to-one bespoke key work sessions to explore and address any issues – A safe space for women to identify and explore any trauma they are experiencing and/or have experienced – Access to the Ridley Villas 20-week tailor-made programme – The Stephanie Covington programme: Helping Wo
Women’s Accommodation Support Service (WASS)
Women’s Accommodation Support Service provides information, advocacy and support for homeless and insecurely housed women across Sussex. Women who are vulnerable in so many ways can find life very challenging.