High quality housing available to those most in need

A homelessness charity is to support a new initiative giving refuge to women and children who have been domestically abused.

Edinburgh-based Cyrenians has joined with Women in Safe Homes Fund (Wish) to lease up to 30 homes in the city and offer tenants additional support to deal with their trauma. 

WiSH buys properties and then leases them to housing charities for women who need somewhere safe to live after leaving an abusive relationship.

Viki Fox, who works for the charity, also has her own experience of domestic abuse.

“I stayed in the situation much longer than I should have done,” she said.

“I knew if I left, I’d be homeless and having to present as homeless, I didn’t know where I would end up, if I would be in a homeless B&B, or where I would be, so it was almost better the devil you know.”

It’s hoped that the new partnership with WiSH will help other women who find themselves in a similar situation.

The fund not only allows the purchase of properties, but ensures that they are of a high standard and in well-connected neighbourhoods.

This is seen as a vital way of supporting survivors of domestic abuse to continue in employment and education.

Amy Hutton, director of services at Cyrenians, said: “We expect over the lifetime of the fund – the next seven years – to be able to offer accommodation to in the region of 200 women and children.

“We want, where possible, women to almost bypass the need to go into mainstream temporary accommodation, because it can be distressing, disorientating, and potentially very traumatic for them.

“So this offers an opportunity to access good quality temporary accommodation, which can allow people the time to recover and receive support until they can take the next step into more permanent accommodation.”