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Councils in England are receiving more than one request a day from victims and survivors of domestic abuse seeking safe accommodation, but shortages of suitable housing and financial pressures are limiting their ability to meet demand, according to a Local Government Association (LGA) survey.
The survey of 49 councils, published to mark five years since local authorities took on new duties under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 to assess and meet the need for domestic abuse support in safe accommodation, highlights both the scale of provision and the challenges facing services.
In 2025/26, responding councils received an average of 410 requests for safe accommodation and made an average of 298 placements. The LGA said a lack of suitable accommodation was preventing many authorities from supporting as many victims and survivors as they would like.
The most commonly reported barriers were insufficient accommodation for people with specific needs, identified by 78% of councils, and wider shortages of safe accommodation, reported by 69%. Nearly three-quarters (73%) said financial pressures were negatively affecting their ability to provide accommodation.
Despite these challenges, councils continue to provide a range of support. Refuge accommodation was available in nine out of 10 responding areas, sanctuary schemes in eight out of 10 and temporary accommodation in three-quarters.
Overall, 86% of councils said their existing provision met identified needs to a great or moderate extent. However, respondents raised concerns about their ability to meet the needs of people requiring specialist accommodation and support.
The survey highlighted differences in councils’ confidence in meeting the needs of particular groups. While 96% said provision met women’s needs to a great or moderate extent, this fell to 65% for men, 55% for disabled people and 53% for people whose gender identity differed from the sex registered at birth. Overall, 61% of councils said provision was limited for some groups.
The LGA also found that 82% of responding councils used the Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant to support provision. More than three-quarters (78%) said greater flexibility in how the grant could be used would help them respond more effectively to local needs.
Councils said greater flexibility could help address gaps in specialist support, expand accommodation provision and invest in preventative services.
Cllr Matt Boughton, chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Committee, said the survey demonstrated the scale of demand facing local services, with councils helping survivors escape dangerous situations and access safety and support every day.
He said councils were struggling to secure appropriate accommodation and support for people with complex or specialist needs while facing increasing financial pressures.
Boughton added that safe accommodation could be life-changing and life-saving, but survivors also needed practical assistance and longer-term support to rebuild their lives.
He called on the Government to provide sustainable funding and greater flexibility in how resources were used, enabling councils to prevent homelessness, address gaps in local provision and ensure survivors could access safe, suitable accommodation with appropriate support.
