Plan to tackle domestic abuse link to homelessness
PA MediaA council is stepping up efforts to tackle domestic abuse as figures showed it was the leading cause of homelessness in an area.
Gateshead Council is to appoint a new anti-domestic abuse champion to oversee how the authority tackles the issue.
A council report showed that 313 people were made homeless in its area as a result of domestic abuse between 2023 and 2024, making it the leading cause of people needing housing support.
A council spokesperson said the champion, who will begin in September, will ensure the authority's work meets the Making a Stand pledge - a commitment signed by hundreds of organisations to protect victims.
A 2022 report found that one in 56 women in Gateshead aged between 15 and 49, had reported domestic abuse, the Local Democracy Reporting service said.
The report also found about one in five referred women were either pregnant or had recently given birth.
The authority recently commissioned new supported accommodation with 43 units for victims and survivors.
The spokesperson said: "The champion will ensure that our work meets the commitments we have signed up to."