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For commissioners and partners
Specialist safe homes Birmingham needs, at risk of closing.
ODARA runs women-only safe and move-on homes with culturally specialist support for South Asian, Muslim and other minoritised women. Without commissioning, these homes will close and the women in them will need somewhere else to go.
The need in Birmingham
Domestic abuse is the city’s third biggest cause of homelessness
domestic abuse-related homeless presentations in 2022/23, 943 of them women
Birmingham DA Prevention Strategy1households in temporary accommodation mainly because of domestic abuse, 2022/23
Birmingham DA Prevention Strategy1domestic incidents attended by West Midlands Police in Birmingham in 2023
Birmingham DA Prevention Strategy1of rejected refuge referrals in England were turned away for lack of space, 2024–25
Women’s Aid Annual Audit 20263Why specialist provision matters
Minoritised women are the least likely to get the help they need
Only 51% of Black and minoritised survivors who wanted specialist ‘by and for’ support could access it.4 Specialist ‘by and for’ services were six times less likely to receive statutory funding than other specialist services.4
In refuges run by Imkaan members, which specialise in Black and minoritised women, 42.9% had full local authority commissioning, compared with 72.4% nationally.3
Birmingham’s own strategy commits to “sufficient provision for minoritised groups” and names specialist support for South Asian, Black and Chinese communities, in a city of nearly 200 nationalities.1
ODARA at a glance
| Homes | Women-only safe and move-on homes across Birmingham |
| Who we house | Women and children escaping domestic abuse, including honour-based abuse and forced marriage |
| Support | Weekly key work, safety planning, and help with benefits, health, schools, legal and immigration advice |
| Rooted in | Birmingham’s South Asian and Muslim communities, open to women of every background |
| Working in the community since | 2015 |
| Also runs | ODARA Care Services and ODARA Training Academy |
Fit with the Part 4 duty
How ODARA helps the council meet its statutory duty
Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 requires the council to provide support within safe accommodation. From 2026–27 this funding sits within the ringfenced Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant, with Birmingham’s allocation at £20,040,814.2
| Birmingham strategy priority1 | What ODARA delivers |
|---|---|
| Safety, support and recovery | Women-only safe and move-on homes with weekly key work, safety planning and a route into settled housing. |
| Sufficient provision for minoritised groups | Culturally and faith-specialist support in community languages, for women who often don’t reach mainstream refuge. |
| Protecting children and young people | Family homes, school and health-visitor links, and 16–18 step-down homes through ODARA Care. |
| Changing attitudes and prevention | Women’s forums and workshops across Balsall Heath, Sparkhill, Lozells, Moseley and Small Heath. |
| Whole-system coordination | Referrals from housing, social care and health; working alongside MARAC and multi-agency partners. |
Quality and accountability
A provider the council can trust
Birmingham has seen serious problems with poor-quality exempt accommodation.7 ODARA wants to be measured against the highest standards.
- We uphold Birmingham’s Charter of Rights for supported housing residents6
- We welcome assessment against Birmingham’s quality standards for supported accommodation
- We are preparing for national supported housing standards and local licensing under the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 20237
- Our homes are women-only and their addresses are kept confidential
Outcomes we will report to commissioners
| Measure | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Women and children housed | Capacity delivered against the Part 4 duty |
| Feel safer after 3 months | The core aim of safe accommodation |
| Planned move-on to settled housing | Reduces repeat homelessness and time in temporary accommodation |
| Registered with a GP | Health needs met early |
| Children settled in school | Protects children’s education and wellbeing |
| Referral sources | Shows reach into minoritised communities |
What we are asking for
Commission ODARA’s women-only homes
Multi-year commissioning of support within our safe accommodation would keep these homes open, protect specialist provision for minoritised women, and give the council a partner reporting clear outcomes.
If the homes close
- Women and children living in them need rehousing, many into temporary accommodation
- Specialist provision for South Asian and Muslim women in the city is reduced
- Women are more likely to return to the person who harmed them
Sources
- Birmingham City Council, Birmingham Domestic Abuse Prevention Strategy 2024+ (consultation draft). https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/daps/
- MHCLG, Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant Determination 2026 to 2027. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-rough-sleeping-and-domestic-abuse-grant-determination-2026-to-2027/homelessness-rough-sleeping-and-domestic-abuse-grant-determination-2026-to-2027
- Women’s Aid, The Annual Audit 2026 (data for 2024–25). https://womensaid.org.uk/the-annual-audit-2026/
- Domestic Abuse Commissioner, ‘By and for’ funding pot briefing paper. https://domesticabusecommissioner.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/by-and-for-costings-paper-UPLOAD-FEB-25.pdf
- ONS, Domestic abuse in England and Wales overview: November 2025. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/domesticabuseinenglandandwalesoverview/november2025
- Birmingham City Council, Charter of Rights and Quality Standards for exempt supported housing. https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/news/article/833/new_charter_of_rights_and_quality_standards_for_exempt_supported_housing_launched
- House of Commons Library, Supported exempt accommodation in Birmingham (2026). https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2026-0029/