In December last year, we were delighted that our hard work and positive impact on vulnerable people’s lives was recognised by the prestigious UK Housing Awards.
We were named “Highly commended” in the “Innovator of the year: tenant services” category for our Revive project that supports domestic abuse survivors to obtain safe, secure and affordable housing outside of their local area. Our highly trained and dedicated case managers provide specialised support to ensure survivors are suitably rehoused and can start a new life without fear. Their work includes discussing survivors’ needs and areas of choice and applying this to their property search, assisting with required documentation, advocating for the survivor at multi-agency MARAC meetings, and more.
This award came at the end of a hugely challenging year which saw a dramatic increase in applicants who had experienced some form of domestic abuse. The Revive team faced many difficulties due to Covid-19 related restrictions, from landlords not conducting viewings to travel limitations. Through innovative solutions such as virtual tours and digital signatures, alongside unwavering determination, the team managed to overcome these barriers. Consequently, the team managed to rehouse over 40 domestic abuse survivors during 2020, despite Covid-19 restrictions.
Brenda Fraser, Homefinder UK and Revive Service Manager said:
“It is an honour to play a role in helping domestic abuse survivors rebuild a positive new life, free from fear. The gratitude from applicants is so rewarding and it will never get old. That UK Housing Awards has recognised our hard is brilliant and I hope it will help us help even more vulnerable people.”
One domestic abuse survivor who was rehoused during the midst of the first national lockdown, was a retired NHS nurse. She was sadly subjected to economic abuse at the hands of her own family. The situation deteriorated to the point where she was left homeless and forced to give her jewellery to her family. After moving into a permanent social home through the Revive service, she said:
“I have been in the property for two days, but my life and my mental health has already dramatically improved. It seems that once Homefinder UK knows about your situation, they activate a plan and apply it vigorously to ensure they find you a home as soon as possible.”
You can read the full story of abused former NHS nurse here.
Please note, the Revive service is completely free for applicants; it is the local authority of the applicants who pays a small subscription fee. Find out more about Revive here.
If you are a local authority interested to find out more, please contact us.
