“This house feels like happiness,” says a domestic abuse survivor who, along with her three children, has moved into a fully furnished affordable home in Waltham Forest.
A family who escaped domestic abuse is now looking forward to a fresh start after moving into a fully furnished affordable home in Waltham Forest. The home, made possible through a groundbreaking partnership, is part of a pilot scheme designed to provide survivors with a safe and stable environment.
The initiative is a collaboration between social housing association Peabody, the charity Furnishing Futures, and the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The pilot aims to support people who have fled domestic abuse and sought social housing after living in refuge accommodation. By offering fully furnished homes at an affordable rent, the scheme helps alleviate financial strain and emotional distress, ensuring families can focus on rebuilding their lives.
A Safe Haven
Statistics from the Office for National Statistics reveal that one in six women in England and Wales experienced physical or sexual violence from a partner in the year leading to March 2024. Leaving an abusive relationship is a significant challenge, often compounded by financial struggles, including the cost of furniture and essential household items. By eliminating this burden, the initiative provides survivors with a crucial stepping stone toward stability and independence.
Susie* (name changed for privacy), a mother of three who recently moved into one of the homes, described her new beginning with heartfelt gratitude: “This house feels like happiness. When you wake up, you know you can do this. You feel better. And it makes me happy. I have no worries. I am feeling more confident and feel like I am looking forward to every day.”
Her children are also benefiting from the move. After sharing a bedroom with his sisters, her son now has his own space, which he loves almost as much as the garden where he can finally play football. Her two daughters now have a room where they can chat and do homework together, improving their relationship and overall well-being.
Scaling Up the Initiative
Peabody is providing three homes in Waltham Forest for the pilot project but hopes to expand to other boroughs, encouraging more housing associations to participate. Furnishing Futures, which specialises in trauma-informed interior design, works closely with residents to ensure their homes are both comfortable and supportive of their emotional recovery. To date, the charity has helped 280 women and children across London while also preventing 62,000kg of unwanted furniture from ending up in landfills.
Elly Hoult, Peabody’s Deputy Chief Executive, expressed enthusiasm for the project: “It’s great to see this initiative coming together and to know that we’re making a real difference in people’s lives. These homes are a safe haven where families can get back on their feet without the financial stress of buying furniture or going into debt.”
However, she acknowledged the challenges of scaling up: “We, our partners, charities, and other housing associations all want to do more because it has such a positive impact, but expansion is incredibly difficult.”
A Trauma-Informed Approach
Furnishing Futures Founder and CEO Emily Wheeler highlighted the importance of designing homes with survivors’ needs in mind: “It is wonderful to hear the positive impact our partnership with Peabody in Waltham Forest is already having on families who have escaped domestic abuse. Our trauma-informed approach ensures these homes provide a safe foundation from which survivors can rebuild their lives.”
The local council is also playing a crucial role in supporting domestic abuse survivors. Councillor Ahsan Khan, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration at Waltham Forest, reaffirmed the borough’s commitment: “We are dedicated to preventing domestic abuse and reducing its devastating impact on individuals, families, and communities. All our work on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is informed by the lived experiences of survivors.”
He added: “This is an innovative partnership, and it is fantastic to know that survivors now have a safe space they can call home – making a real difference at a critical time in their lives.”
As the pilot progresses, its success could pave the way for similar initiatives across London, providing more survivors with the stability, dignity, and security they need to move forward.
(Resident’s name changed for privacy | Photo credit: Kirsty Noble)
