Women’s Aid respond to the announcement that survivors will no longer be subject to the local connection test

Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, said: 

“We welcome today’s announcement that survivors of domestic abuse will no longer be subject to the local connection test, meaning they won’t have to prove a local connection to the area where they apply for social housing. We welcome early recognition from the new Government, that domestic abuse by its very nature, is inextricably linked with housing. We see first-hand the devastating cost of the housing crisis on survivors, who are often forced to ‘choose’ between homelessness and housing insecurity or risking their safety by remaining with a perpetrator. Women and children fleeing to new local authorities to find safety are highly vulnerable to exclusion in areas which prioritise ‘local need’. Women’s Aid and the survivors we support had been waiting for Government to respond to their consultation on local connection for a number of years, and this decisive action will make a real difference to them. As ever, for this new measure to have the intended impact for survivors – its implementation will require scrutiny and robust oversight.”