Government figures for England show 67,750 people were supported in domestic abuse safe accommodation in 2025 to 2026, with fewer households turned away for lack of capacity but more with unmet needs.
Key facts
- Who: Victims of domestic abuse and their children who are referred for safe accommodation in England, and the local authorities that commission support
- From: 15 October 2026 (date of publication)
- Source: Support in domestic abuse safe accommodation: 2025 to 2026, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published its annual management information on support in domestic abuse safe accommodation. It covers April 2025 to March 2026 and is based on returns from the 121 Tier 1 local authorities in England. The data is used to monitor how councils are delivering their duties under Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which require support, where needed, for victims and their children in safe accommodation.
Who was supported. Councils reported supporting 67,750 people. Women made up 54% and children 43%. Sanctuary schemes, which let victims stay in their own homes with extra security measures, were the most common type, covering 46% of people supported. Refuge accommodation accounted for 28%. The report says these totals are not directly comparable with earlier years, because a new voluntary question identified a further 38,590 people supported outside safe accommodation.
Capacity. There were 25,990 bedspaces and sanctuary units, up 1,870 (8%) on 2024 to 2025. Sanctuary units made up 71% of this. Refuge bedspaces fell by 540 (15%) to 3,150.
Households not supported. 27,260 households could not be supported, down 3%. Capacity was the most common reason, at 7,630 households, down 11%. However, 4,260 households could not be supported because their needs could not be met, up 6%. The report links this largely to no recourse to public funds and alcohol support needs. Among unmet needs, mental health (21%) and no recourse to public funds (20%) were the most commonly reported.
Specialist services. Councils commissioned 430 specialist services, down from 450. By-and-for services fell from 120 to 80.
Length of stay. 36% of people whose stay was recorded remained in refuge, dispersed or specialist accommodation for six months or longer, compared with 42% the year before. The report notes that length-of-stay data has the lowest response rate in the collection.
What this means for people seeking safe accommodation
These are national management statistics compiled from council returns. They do not say what will happen in any individual case. They show that the type and availability of support varied, and that some households were not supported because their needs could not be met, with no recourse to public funds one of the reasons reported. The report also says its figures are not directly comparable with earlier years, and that some of the data comes from voluntary questions.
Sources
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Support in domestic abuse safe accommodation: 2025 to 2026, published 15 October 2026