Victims of domestic abuse living in social housing will be able to stay in their homes while perpetrators are evicted, under new legislation being debated this week.
The Social Housing Bill, which has its second reading on 1 June, will change how domestic abuse cases are handled within the social housing system in England.
Currently, landlords can only evict abusers after their partner has left the property – a process campaigners say often forces innocent people to leave their homes.
In cases of joint tenancies, victims may also be required to give up the tenancy entirely, increasing the risk of homelessness.
Under the proposed changes, courts and landlords will be given new powers to evict perpetrators directly, without requiring the victim to leave first. The legislation will also close a legal loophole which allowed abusive partners to serve a notice to quit on joint tenancies. Any such notice will be suspended while court proceedings are ongoing.
Courts will also be able to transfer joint tenancies into the victim’s sole name. However, when this can’t be done, landlords will be required to provide suitable alternative accommodation.
The government said the reforms will address a problem affecting thousands of families. Last year, around 15,000 households in England were forced to find new social housing as a result of domestic abuse.
Dame Nicole Jacobs, domestic abuse commissioner, said: ‘Sharing a social home with a perpetrator presents victims and survivors of domestic abuse with an impossible choice. Remaining in their home means facing further abuse but leaving could put them at risk of homelessness and struggling financially.
‘Alongside survivors and campaigners, I have been calling for action to be taken to stop perpetrators from weaponising joint tenancies – and I’m pleased to see that the government has listened.
‘People experiencing domestic abuse need safety and stability in order to recover and rebuild free from harm. This will be an important step towards that for many.’
The bill also includes changes to the right to buy scheme aimed at slowing the decline in social housing stock. It is backed by £39bn of government funding for social and affordable housing – described as the largest investment of its kind in a generation.
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