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The Women in Safe Homes fund

Fund managers - Resonance and Patron Capital

The Women in Safe Homes fund provides affordable, safe, secure homes across the UK for vulnerable women.

  • 2.3m Number of people aged 16-74 who have experienced domestic violence in the last year
  • 60% Percentage of referrals to specialist accommodation who are turned away
  • 12% Percentage of women seeking refuge who are forced to sleep rough

Challenge​

There is a significant demand for safe and secure homes for women in need. Two-thirds of homeless adults living in temporary accommodation are women, while Women’s Aid reports that 60% of women referred to specialist refuges are turned away, mainly due to lack of space.​

​Approach​

We worked with a group of sector experts, to understand the housing needs of vulnerable women and how investment could help. We built on our research, to develop the Women in Safe Homes fund, together with specialist fund managers Resonance and Patron Capital, who will jointly manage the Fund. We provided a £10 million cornerstone investment to help start the initiative and bring in other investors alongside us. ​

​Impact​

The Women in Safe Homes fund will provide affordable, safe, secure homes across the UK for women who: are experiencing homelessness; are survivors of domestic abuse; used to be in prison; or have other complex needs. It will acquire homes and leases them to charity partners, with a specific focus on working with specialist women’s sector organisations.