Domestic abuse survivors should be given priority on the council homes waiting list, councillors are proposing.
Labour councillor Paul Nann is due to ask councillors to back ensuring people fleeing domestic abuse or violence will have priority.
The request comes ahead of a review of Brighton and Hove City Council’s housing waiting list policy.
A motion to the full council on Thursday 14 December proposes a report be made to the Housing and New Homes Committee.
It says it should also include how the council will make sure all staff and those in housing partner organisations are trained to recognise domestic abuse.
Councillor Nann said: “As a child, I’ve done the fleeing thing. With my mum. My dad was a very, violent man and my mum and I were abused.
“We were never homeless but I know how dangerous it gets.
“I’ve worked with many homeless women and young people who were subject to abuse. Often they’d become homeless because staying where they were was impossible.”
Fellow Labour councillor Amanda Grimshaw is due to second the motion.
Councillor Grimshaw has previously shared her experiences as a domestic abuse survivor, presenting herself and her children at Brighton and Hove City Council’s housing office with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.
During her maiden speech in August 2019, Councillor Grimshaw told councillors that her second husband locked her out of the house when she was seven months pregnant with her fourth child.
She did not go back, but was given an emergency “bed and breakfast” place and then a one-bedroom flat. Her three older children stayed with their grandmother.
Councillors are asked to recognise those fleeing domestic abuse and facing homelessness are already traumatised by the experience and more needs to be done to find them safe accommodation.
Councillor Nann is also asking for a report on how the council can achieve Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance accreditation.
The full council meeting is due to start at Hove Town Hall at 4.30pm on Thursday 14 December. The meeting is scheduled for webcast on the council website.
Domestic violence has a powerful effect on people years after the event as well. It is right the council looks to support those fleeing violence with emergency accomodation.
After that, I am wondering should they be prioritised as the threat of violence has been circumvented and their needs are equal to others in emergency accomodation?
This is worrying as it in effect it will encourage people to claim domestic abuse to jump the council housing list. Is this also more of a priority than being elderly or seriously disabled or living on the streets all of which are terrible situations to be in. Domestic abuse survivors should of course be helped but perhaps the solution is to find them housing immediately but not necessarily in Brighton which may be an advantage if they wish to escape a violent partner. This would be fairer.
Many do go to different towns and cities to be fair. And I think you make a fair comment on how people may indeed claim DV in an attempt to increase their priority on the housing waiting list.