Homes for Healing: Women Against Homelessness and Abuse (WAHA)

The eighth issue of ‘Evidence Bits’ draws from a report that presents insights gained after five years of continued work of the Women Against Homelessness and Abuse (WAHA) initiative funded by Trust for London and run by the Latin American Women’s Aid (LAWA) in collaboration with the OYA consortium of ‘by and for’ specialist Black and minoritised ending refuge providers in the capital.

The report documents the housing struggles of Global Majority women survivors of gender-based violence. It draws on extensive casework, survivor testimonies, and policy analysis to highlight the structural failures that lead to homelessness and re-victimisation.

Safe, stable housing is central to recovery from abuse. Survivors’ testimonies show how unsafe or unsuitable housing—from collapsing ceilings to rodent infestations—can retraumatise women and children. Healing cannot occur in spaces of neglect.

For migrant women, immigration status often determines whether they can be safe. Those with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) or pre-settled status are locked out of public housing and benefits. Abusers exploit this dependency, while councils frequently misunderstand or misapply immigration law.