Housing Rights has received funding from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) for a bespoke pilot project, designed to provide crucial support for people affected by domestic abuse and homelessness across Northern Ireland.
The project, which has been funded for an initial six months through NIHE’s Homeless Prevention Fund, will deliver tailored housing advice and support to people affected by domestic abuse and either at risk of or already experiencing homelessness, in community locations across Northern Ireland. The pilot will see the provision of dedicated advice clinics to ensure people in crisis get the help they need, when they need it.
The project is the first stage of a new service the housing charity plan to deliver to ensure improved support for the increasing number of households affected by the issue. According to statistics from 2024/25, the PSNI is called to a property in relation to domestic abuse every 17 minutes, and in 2024/25, 1, 2059 households presented as homeless to the NIHE due to domestic abuse. The true figures are much higher and often go unreported due to stigma and fear.
This project will allow Housing Rights to deliver person-centred legal and housing support directly to those who need it the most. The project will focus particularly on areas outside of Belfast, working in partnership with local Women's Aid groups and NIHE regional offices.
Brenda Parker – Housing Rights Head of Services commented,
“We are delighted to be able to bring forward this pilot project and grateful to NIHE for their support. The new service builds on the existing work we have been doing with our partners in Women’s Aid and with people affected by domestic abuse who have bravely shared with us their experiences. We know from this work that victims and survivors of domestic abuse face additional challenges which can increase their risk of homelessness. Through this project, we will be able to offer a bespoke specialist service targeted at preventing homelessness for those who have experienced domestic abuse.”
In addition, Housing Rights has also been funded to upskill 90 frontline staff in the housing sector, so that they can better support those who have experienced domestic abuse. The training, which was co-developed with women who had experienced domestic abuse and homelessness, uses an immersive Virtual Reality experience, alongside a knowledge-based training module to build empathy, raise awareness and develop the skills needed to support people experiencing domestic abuse with their housing issues.
Key Project Features:
Kate McCauley — Chief Executive