Fife Council Preventing Homelessness Caused by Domestic Abuse

That the Parliament welcomes the steps taken by Fife Council in creating good practice to prevent homelessness caused by domestic abuse; highlights the work involving the council, Scottish Women’s Aid and a community research team of women made homeless in Fife through domestic abuse, including the report, Change, Justice, Fairness, "Why should we have to move everywhere and everything because of him?"; praises the adoption by the council of a co-production approach, which has resulted in a respectful, individualised and victim/survivor-led strategy for keeping women and children safe in their homes; notes that the council has responded to the lockdown by maintaining its proactive approach by keeping allocations of housing open to enable women and children to safely move home and reduce additional pressure on refuge spaces; appreciates the close working between the council and a coalition of organisations committed to transforming how social landlords respond to domestic abuse, including the development of Scotland’s first guidance for social landlords, which takes a human rights approach to housing and homelessness; commends the creative and committed service redesign work undertaken by Fife Council and its response to homelessness and domestic abuse during this pandemic, when women and children experiencing domestic abuse are particularly at risk, and hopes that this approach can be shared with other local authorities as an example of good practice.