Domestic abuse

If you are the tenant of a housing association, you should contact your landlord first. Your housing association should have a tenancy support team with housing officers dedicated to ensuring your safety. Your housing association should move you to another property if it is not safe for you to remain in your home. Where it is not safe for you to remain in your home and temporary housing is required but your landlord is not able to help, please contact the council.

If you are a Housing Association Tenant and are experiencing abuse of any kind, and need help to access safe housing, please contact our Housing Advice team:

Telephone: 020 8496 3000

Email: housing.advice@walthamforest.gov.uk

Housing Advice Officer

Your case will be given to a Housing Advice Officer. We will open your case within 24 hours or sooner depending on your issue. We will contact you through the safest method of contact this may be via telephone or a virtual interview. You can speak to your Housing Advice Officer in confidence and they will discuss the support and options available to you.

Independent Domestic Violence Advisor

You will also be provided with an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor to ensure that you are supported through the process. They can help you with everything they need to become safe and rebuild your life. If needed, they will represent your voice at a Multi-agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC), as well as helping you understand the criminal justice process.

We will create an action plan that protects the safety of you and your family. Depending on your wishes and the level of risk, there are many options available:

Remaining in your accommodation

If you do not want to leave your home, there are options available. These options aim to reduce the risk to you and to support you to feel safe within your home setting. These options may include being supported to apply for Non-Molestation and Occupation Orders and working with your landlord to make the property safe.

For more information on the legal options available to you, please see the National Centre for Domestic Violence and Rights of Women websites. 

Leaving your accommodation

If it is unsafe for you to remain in your current accommodation your Housing Advice officer will work with the housing solution service to find you temporary accommodation. Your temporary accommodation may be in another area inside or outside of the borough to protect you from the perpetrator. The temporary accommodation that is provided will fulfil the size requirements of your family. This will just be a temporary arrangement whilst your Housing Advice officer works with your housing association to move you back into a secure tenancy. If it is too dangerous for you to return to the Waltham Forest area, your housing association may be able to place you elsewhere. You may also be advised to present as homeless to another local authority.

Rehousing

If you are placed in temporary accommodation inside or outside of the borough, your housing association will work to return you to your home when it is safe to do so. The timeframe to move you out of temporary accommodation will be dependent on the availability of properties of your housing association that meet your housing needs.