The role of housing in a coordinated community response to domestic abuse.

Abstract

Abstract

This thesis explores the contribution of social housing providers within a coordinated community response to domestic abuse. Housing has often been overlooked in favour of a criminal justice dominance, however there is increasing attention on the role of housing, for example Walby (2018) argues that minimum standards for access to housing may be more important than increasing criminalisation of domestic abuse. This thesis seeks to explore existing good practice in the housing sector, examine the experiences of women accessing support from their housing provider and of men receiving wraparound support from housing provider, Gentoo as part of the Big Project, a Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme (DVPP).

A multi-method research approach was adopted; comprising four data sets, namely an anonymous questionnaire to housing professionals with 233 responses and nine in-depth interviews with housing professionals. Seven in-depth interviews and a group interview with victims of domestic abuse took place in addition to five in-depth interviews with perpetrators.

The research found that whilst housing providers have an established role in a coordinated community response in relation to anti-social behaviour (ASB) this is not replicated in relation to domestic abuse.

The research found examples of good practice in housing providers’ responses to victims of domestic abuse but a gap in responding to perpetrators. Findings in relation to perpetrators’ of domestic abuse accessing wraparound support from Gentoo as part of the Big Project suggested cause for some optimism in the role of housing in providing support for men to address their abusive behaviour.