How are we protecting Londoners, predominantly women, who are becoming homeless as a consequence of domestic abuse?

Survivors of domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls should not have to choose between safety and a home. Preventing their homelessness is critical, as is tackling the violence itself, and we are funding several programmes to help achieve this. We have invested over £50 million in programmes to address the actions of perpetrators, including to prevent further abuse and upheaval for survivors. My £1.5 million COVID response for people fleeing violence has so far supported over 300 adults and children. My Pan‑London Housing Reciprocal and Housing Moves schemes help survivors in social housing to move to safety and retain their tenancy rights.

Addressing the needs of homeless women is a key part of the work plan of the jointly‑led City Hall and London borough Life Off the Streets group. I am using my new powers and funding under Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act to improve support for survivors in safe accommodation.  My recently published Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Strategy sets out proposals to ensure all survivors can access safe accommodation with the support they need. I welcome the change in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 to extend priority need to all survivors of domestic abuse.

Since becoming Mayor, ensuring London is safe for women and tackling rough sleeping have been personal priorities of mine. It is critical that the work we have pioneered on both, including during the pandemic, does not go to waste. This requires sustainable and substantial resource from the Government as well as policy changes to tackle the root causes.

Thank you very much, Mr Mayor, and it is good to be in this new Chamber for our first MQT of the year.

Mr Mayor, based on research when I was leading up to this question it became very apparent to me that Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) women and transgender people fall through the data gap on domestic abuse. Many groups who advocate on this suggest exactly that, and that the assessment of what constitutes domestic abuse does not adequately reflect the experiences of BAME women and transgender people who are victims of domestic abuse. How can we at City Hall help address this?

First, we have to recognise that the issue you raise is an important one. Although in numerical terms it may be a smaller number, they are vulnerable. The first thing we can do, and we are doing, is support those groups that work with these people in London. That is why we are funding Black‑led groups, BAME‑led groups, and also groups with expertise to help the trans Londoners that you are referring to. They have the credibility and the reach to reach these Londoners and they need support.  Our funding gives them the support to be able to do so.

Secondly, we have to make sure that the support the Government is giving London Councils and ourselves is used to help the most vulnerable Londoners. That includes the group you are talking about.

Thirdly, mainstream groups should also be understanding the responsibility they have to talk about these groups who can, as you have alluded to, fall through the cracks, to make sure they get the help that they need as well.

Thank you. Following on from Assembly Member McCartney’s question at the last MQT on exactly this, on 21 December 2021 the Government announced the Homelessness Prevention Grant. £5.8 million will be allocated to people and councils to support people who are being made homeless from domestic abuse. How much of that was being allocated to London and what is that going toward specifically?

The Government allocated this money because it was a new burden on councils. They allocated more than £300 million to English local authorities. Of the £315 million, London received £5.8 million. This will be councils using the money to help the group of people we are talking about. These are the new burdens placed on councils because of the change in legislation in relation to priority need.

Frankly speaking, we need much more to provide the safe accommodation, build the homes and so forth. At the moment, what I am afraid will happen is that temporary accommodation will be used. We are paying monies to private landlords when, had we built the homes ourselves, we could provide help long‑term for far more people.

Thank you. That long‑term and holistic solution is still much‑needed, from what I can hear. I will be following up with you if that is OK, given that I know over Christmas [2021] you were going to speak with some specialist groups who deal with specifically people who are made homeless from domestic abuse. It would be good to hear what they said.

Absolutely.

I look forward to following up on that with you.