When a woman has experienced abuse, exploitation, or prison, the path forward can feel impossibly hard. Without a safe place to live, choices narrow, risks multiply, and hope can fade. The Women in Safe Homes Fund was created – as a joint venture in 2020 of Resonance and Patron Capital – to change that. It provides secure, good-quality housing across the UK for women facing homelessness.
Women housed by the fund include women escaping domestic abuse, women leaving prison without a home to go to and women who have experienced exploitation.
Over the past year, 189 women and 143 children lived in the fund’s homes – over 500 women and children have so far been housed since the fund launched – supported by housing partners who provide the wraparound, trauma-informed care needed for recovery. Their experiences show just how powerful the foundation of a safe home can be.
Safety: the first step to recovery
For women escaping abuse, safety is a priority. This year, 97% of tenants said they felt safe in their homes – up from 81% last year. That sense of security allows women to finally take a moment to breathe, and begin their journey into healing and recovery.
One tenant, Daima, explains: “I feel like I have safety and support in my new home. I now live in a good neighbourhood with my children. I don’t know where I would be without it, but it would be bad.”
Another woman, Anna, reflected on the difference stability has made to her family: “Most important was having the key to my door and being able to feel safe inside. My abuser did not know where we were. We could laugh, watch TV, and eat tea together
without fear.”
Stability: space to rebuild
A home doesn’t just offer shelter, it provides stability. With that comes the opportunity to make choices and regain control after years of coercion and trauma.
This year:
- 91% of women said their home helped them recover from past experiences
- 92% said it helped them build independence
- 78% reported greater ability to exercise choice and control
For Anna, this meant looking ahead: “I’m starting to plan for the future, maybe a college course. My children are making
friends. I feel like we’re becoming a ‘normal’ family again.”
Starting recovery: increased wellbeing
Alongside safety and stability, women’s wellbeing improved:
- 76% of tenants reported improved mental health
- 84% said their self-confidence had grown
- 77% built stronger social networks
Elsa, another tenant, shared the joy of simple things many take for granted: “I feel very happy and pleased to have a place I can call home. We have so much space now and my son has his own bedroom where he can enjoy playing with his toys.”
Independence: creating a new future Providing housing for women who have experienced trauma and homelessness also
provides them with a platform for independence. This year:
- 71% of women reported improved financial independence
- 27% made progress in employment or education – from volunteering to gaining
qualifications and paid jobs
Stacey is now thinking about her future, with hope: “My plans are to get back to ‘normal living’, working, holidays, family. Having my dog with me. Just setting goals and achieving them, giving back to the universe, staying positive.”
And living independently in her new home has also helped Lucy prepare for her future. “This home has shown us how to live as a family of three, with me handling all the bills and responsibilities. It’s helped build the skills I’ll need for future housing.”
The significance of these outcomes
These outcomes help to empower women, disrupting cycles of disadvantage. A 2024 report by Shelter1, emphasizes that women experiencing domestic abuse often face a stark choice: remain with their abuser or become homeless. Access to alternative, safe, affordable housing is a key factor in enabling women to leave abusive situations. There is also significant research showing that women leaving prison without a stable home face dramatically increased risks of homelessness, reoffending, and social isolation.
In its ‘Women in Prison’2 report in 2023, the House of Commons Justice Committee found that only 41% of women interviewed across 10 prisons had secure housing on release and a quarter lost their home during their imprisonment. For women leaving prison without stable housing to go to, it is much harder for them to engage in employment and training, access support services, re-establish contact with children and families, and integrate successfully into the community.
A safe home reduces the risk of women returning to abusers, becoming homeless again, or reoffending and instead, enables women to take control of their lives. It builds a pathway to a sustainable future for them and their children.
For children, too, the ripple effects are profound. Housing partners reported children engaging more confidently in school, accessing health services, and rebuilding trust. Safe homes don’t just change women’s lives; they also change families’ futures.
As one of the fund’s housing partners explains: “The properties are of a really high standard, and you can see women feel relieved when they realise it is theirs. That relief is the first step towards recovery.”
Looking Forward
With the Women in Safe Homes Fund now fully deployed, 122 homes across the UK are providing safety and stability, the opportunity for recovery and the chance to rebuild lives, for hundreds of women and children. Over its lifetime, the fund aims to house around 2,300 women and children.
Sources
1 Shelter: Social housing – a place of safety for domestic abuse survivors
2 UK Parliament: House of Commons Justice Committee: Women in Prison 2022-23
Women in Safe Homes Fund
