Many young women find themselves struggling in a tenancy because of past and current experiences of sexual abuse. SAY Women recognises the need to support these women to maintain their tenancies and so we developed our first TS4S Service in partnership with Renfrewshire Council.
Young women who have experienced violence or abuse may have found ways to cope with the trauma that impacts on their behaviour. It could be noise from having her music or TV up loud as she is afraid of external noises; she may be in rent arrears as she struggles with cognitive overload and becomes overwhelmed by practical tasks; she may turn to alcohol or other substances to help her cope.
We work with her to understand her trauma and how that impacts on her daily life, leading to behaviour that risks losing her tenancy. We help her establish safety and then provide her with the tools and resources she needs to deal with her trauma and find healthier ways to cope.
This work, along with raising awareness of these issues amongst housing advisors and tenancy support workers, can have a huge impact on breaking the linked cycles of homelessness and abuse, as well as getting these young women the vital help they need to keep them safe and to have happy and fulfilling lives.
