If you decide to leave an environment in which you are subjected to domestic violence, the following options are available:
Refuges
Refuges are safe houses for women and children fleeing domestic violence found in all parts of the country. Most refuges work to the same principles, in essence, to provide a place of safety at a confidential location and assist you in finding move-on housing.
For availability of refuge spaces, please contact the freephone 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
If the line is engaged, keep trying.
Homeless Persons Unit
The housing department has a duty to provide you and your family assistance if you have to leave your home because of violence or if you are in fear of violence. These services have been extended to single people too.
Please remember you can declare yourself homeless at any Local Authority in the UK without having a local connection. If you feel you will be in further danger by staying in the borough you are living in, you can move to another.
Hounslow Homes
If you are living in a property managed by Hounslow Homes, you can contact your housing officer for advice. Hounslow Homes has a domestic violence policy which clearly states that they will provide assistance to their tenants who are experiencing domestic violence. For example, they could arrange a management transfer. Furthermore, they have specially trained officers for domestic violence.
Please contact the ASB and tenancy team on: 0800 085 65 75 or visit: www.hounslowhomes.org.uk
You can also visit area our offices at:
West (Feltham, Hanworth, Bedfont)
St Catherine's House
2 Hanworth Road
Feltham
TW13 5AB
Central (Hounslow, Heston & Isleworth)
Civic Centre
Lampton Road
Hounslow
TW3 4DN
East (Chiswick & Brentford)
Brentford Housing Office
58-59 Brentford High Street
London Road
Brentford
TW8 0AH
Hounslow Safer Homes Sanctuary Project
The Hounslow Safer Homes Project offers a variety of security measures if you are a survivor of domestic violence and want to stay in your own home.
If you decide that additional security would assist you a referral will be made to a Crime Prevention Officer, who will arrange to visit you to carry out an assessment to find out what security equipment would be appropriate to install in you property.
You will be consulted on the assessment and if you are a social housing tenant a referral will be made to your social landlord.
If you are an owner-occupier or live in private rented accommodation the Local Authority will cover the cost.
Hounslow Homes will cover reasonable costs following the Crime Prevention Officers assessment.
If you are a Housing Association tenant we will refer you to your landlord, although it will be at their discretion to pay for the security measures.
For more information on the scheme please contact the Domestic Violence Outreach Service on.020 8247 6466.