When Home Isn't Safe

For many women in Northern Ireland, escaping domestic violence doesn't lead to safety—it leads to homelessness and prolonged housing insecurity. The journey from abuse to safety is often blocked by fragmented services, housing shortages, and persistent gender inequality that makes everything harder.

Women face impossible choices: stay in a violent home or leave and risk having nowhere to go. This isn't just a failure of policy—it's a systemic issue rooted in how society treats women, housing, and care.

The Root Causes: Not Just a Housing Issue

While better coordination between domestic violence services and homelessness support is important, it's not enough. The real drivers of this crisis are:

• A severe lack of affordable housing

• Economic inequality that leaves women financially vulnerable

• Deep-rooted patriarchal norms that shape policy and response

To truly address this issue, we need more than surface-level solutions—we need cultural change and long-term policy reform.

Intersectionality Matters: Not All Women Are Affected the Same

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all issue. Using an intersectional lens, the research shows that certain women are even more vulnerable due to overlapping forms of oppression, including:

• Motherhood and single parenting

• Migrant status and immigration controls

• Working-class background and poverty

These intersecting factors increase the risk of both domestic violence and housing insecurity, creating a dangerous cycle with few exits.

What Makes Northern Ireland Unique

Northern Ireland's particular history and social context add layers to this crisis. Factors that make the situation especially complex here include:

• Rising rates of domestic violence-related homelessness

• High levels of alcohol-related abuse

• Chronic underreporting to police due to mistrust

• The lingering influence of paramilitary groups

• The legacy of the Troubles and intergenerational trauma

These regional realities demand locally-informed, context-specific solutions.

What Needs to Change? Key Recommendations

The research offers a roadmap for reducing domestic violence-related homelessness—but it requires commitment and funding. Key actions include:

1. Invest in Mental Health and Alcohol Support

Mental health issues and substance abuse—often linked—must be addressed with expanded services and consistent funding.

2. Build Trust in Police and Justice

Communities, especially Loyalist and ethnic minority areas, need policing they can trust. Legal alternatives to paramilitary "justice" must be developed and promoted.

3. Train and Equip Frontline Staff

Staff should receive training on:

• Section 5 of the Criminal Justice Act

• Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs) This ensures victims are supported fairly and appropriately.

4. Secure Funding Before Implementation

None of this works without reliable, long-term funding. Pilot projects and piecemeal efforts won't cut it.

The Role of Employers: Practical Support for Survivors

Workplaces can be a lifeline for survivors—if they're equipped to help. Best practices include:

• Paid leave and emergency salary advances

• Relocation options within the organisation

• Discreet handling of harassment concerns

• Use of professional interpreters trained in domestic violence (never friends or relatives)

Policy in Practice: What’s Already Working

Some policies are already making a difference. Examples include:

• Paid leave for Trust staff affected by domestic violence

• The Executive Office’s Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, a model for how policy can be gender-aware

This kind of strategy should be integrated into housing policy—especially in updates to the NIHE Homelessness Strategy.

Who’s Missing from the Conversation?

The research also highlights key gaps:

• The experiences of disabled women, Trans people, and rural women

• The impact of paramilitary violence, especially in Loyalist areas

• A deeper class-based analysis of who is most affected

These are critical areas that future research and policy must address.

Final Thoughts: It’s Time for More Than Quick Fixes

Women escaping abuse need more than emergency accommodation—they need a system that sees them, supports them, and stands with them. Tackling domestic violence-related homelessness in Northern Ireland means investing in long-term change, addressing economic and gender inequality, and creating services that work for all women, not just some.

This issue won’t be solved by improving coordination alone—it demands a cultural shift, investment, and policies built on lived experience.

This blog post is based on original research submitted as part of an MSc in Social Policy at Ulster University, September 2024.

Image is from WRDA’s Shift the Shame campaign that aims to highlight the intersection of violence against women and homelessness and ‘Shift the Shame’ from the victim. VIsit the website and learn about the #StepsToSafety: www.wrda.net/stepstosafety