Domestic abuse victims say safe houses not secure

One of the victims of abuse who used Winner's housing service, speaking to BBC reporter Natalie Bell

Women who fled domestic abuse say the "safe houses" they were placed in by a charity were in such poor condition, it caused them further distress.

Dozens of tenants of Winner, the Preston Road Women's Centre in Hull known locally as Purple House, said their properties had broken back doors, damp, mould and leaks.

The charity, which states it offers safe and supported accommodation to women and children experiencing violence and abuse, said it would "continue to review our processes to identify any gaps in our services to those tenants".

Hull City Council (HCC), which provides Winner with £107,000-a-year funding, said it had reported the charity to the government department for social housing.

Laura's back door boarded up with cardboard after she said it was smashed by an ex-partner

Laura, not her real name, said she turned to the charity for support following an abusive relationship but claimed her mental health worsened after years of problems with the house she was placed in with her children.

"My back door was smashed in by an ex-partner," she said. "They did send someone round to fix it but they just put a cardboard box over it and left it like that for nine months.

"My handle used to fall off as well so if there was ever an emergency I couldn't get out of my back door. I had to force it with a knife to try and get out.

"It wasn't a safe house. I had to get out."

Joanne, whose name has also been changed, added: "My back door broke and when someone did eventually come out, they just took the locks off altogether and told me to just put plastic doorstops on and said it would be fine.

"When you're in a safe house you want it to feel secure and it certainly wasn't."

Liv, also not her real name, spent four years in an abusive relationship but said she now felt trapped once more due to mould making living conditions miserable for her and her children.

"I just lay in bed and cry the majority of the time. I don't want to be here in this house, but I just have to put up and shut up, basically," she added.

"I'm stuck here. I can't afford private renting and the council isn't doing anything because I'm already housed, so I'm literally just stuck in this house."

Mould on the wall of one house used by Winner

Winner said it has 178 houses in the city for women escaping abusive relationships. They are provided by Winner Trading Limited (WTL) - the charity's commercial arm.

According to its accounts for the financial year ending 31 March 2024, WTL has managed a dispersed accommodation service since 2008 and charges rent.

On its website, the charity states rents are set at "affordable levels which means that your Local Housing Allowance will cover at least most of the cost".

The charity was founded 25 years ago by Lisa Hilder, who was awarded an MBE in 2024. It also provides training, nursery provision and volunteer programmes from its centre in east Hull and said it had helped "tens of thousands of women".

"We take the protection, safety and comfort of our tenants extremely seriously," a statement added.

"All our homes are fitted with a communications hub through which the tenants can report an issue 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"We are working proactively to make sure repairs are dealt with in a timely manner and that properties are maintained appropriately."

Winner, the Preston Road Women's Centre in Hull

A former worker at the charity, who did not want to be named, said the poor housing conditions were the reason she and others left.

Marie, not her real name, said: "There was always damp, mould, broken floorboards, and boarded-up fire escapes, which was the most scary one for me.

"Going into a property knowing there was only one way in and one way out, there's only so long that you can go around looking at vulnerable women and children in these homes in such disrepair without it taking a mental toll on you as a person.

"That was the reason I left the role. I felt disheartened and disappointed because I went to work for a charity that was to empower women and look after women who had been victims of domestic abuse."

Angie Wallace, who runs a community support group in the city called Changing Lives on Your Doorstep, said she was contacted by dozens of current and former Winner tenants, all detailing similar experiences with the charity.

She said some of the women who had left their abusive partner had been forced to return to them "because they don't want to stay in the houses".

HCC said it was "aware of concerns from Winner service users" and had met with the charity.

"Council officers have also made a referral to the Regulator of Social Housing, which has responsibility for investigating some of the matters highlighted," a spokesperson added.

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