Safe Rooms For Domestic Violence Victims
Victims of domestic violence will be able to flee to a haven in their own homes under plans to fit them with safe rooms. The government has told all local authorities they must arrange for one room in the family home to be fitted with reinforced doors, mortice locks and alarms which link straight to the police if victims ask for it.
Havant Borough Council has already set up two of these safe areas and East Hampshire District Council is poised to do the same. At the moment one in eight new cases of homelessness are women and children fleeing from violence within the home.
The sanctuary rooms would only be available in cases where the violent partner has left the home for good, and would be somewhere the family could escape to if the partner suddenly returned.
Communities secretary Ruth Kelly said: ‘Sanctuary schemes have been proven to prevent homelessness by giving people the security and confidence to stay in their own home, where it’s their choice and police experts agree it’s a safe option.
‘It is not right that victims should have no other choice but to go into temporary accommodation or refuges, which can feel unsettling and cause family upheaval at the worst possible time.’
The homes with safe rooms in them will be flagged on the police computers and fitted with alarms, mortice locks, security lights, reinforced doorframe, emergency lights and CCTV.
Havant Borough Council set up two rooms last year and other councils have the system in place if it is requested by victims
who would rather stay in their home than move.
Linda Earl, from East Hampshire District Council’s housing department, said: ‘We are working on it at the moment. If someone comes forward and requests it we will be able to do it hopefully within the next couple of months. At the moment no-one has requested it.’
The money for the rooms will come out of the homelessness grant given to each local authority annually. The scheme should be made available in all types of housing, including both rented and private.
