The fear of being left homeless can keep people stuck in abusive relationships, according to the head of a charity helping victims of abuse.

Laurie Shiell, the executive director of the Centre Against Abuse, said finances often dictated that a victim could not afford to leave the abuser and set up a home themselves.

“The concern over homelessness keeps people in abusive relationships because what happens is that most time domestic abuse is what we call intimate partner abuse.

“What happens is that many times finances keep people tied in abusive relationships. Normally, the victim is the one who is tied to the finances, and the concern about being homeless is what keeps them in that abusive relationship.”

She added: “If I am a stay-at-home parent, or even a stay-at home-spouse — let’s say I don’t even have children — then everything that I have is tied to my spouse, right?

“If I’m a non-Bermudian and I’m tied to that individual’s work permit, I don't have anything that will help me to move into my own place.”

The Royal Gazette in conjunction with stakeholders including Home, a charity helping the homeless, is highlighting the issue of those who are homelessness.

Home, and others, want to end homelessness and so do we. We want your support. We want you to change your perception of the homeless. We want you to help lobby for simple changes. We want you to show compassion.

Homeless people want to work so that they may be self-sufficient. They did not choose to be homeless and in many cases their plight was brought about by systemic failings in this country.

Ms Shiell said provisions under the Domestic Violence Protection Orders Act meant the abuser could be ordered to leave the home and pay to help the abused person maintain that home. The legislation allows the survivor and the children to remain in the home.

She said there had been an increase in the use of the legislation and that as a result, the charity decided it no longer needed a safe house.

It now uses Airbnb accommodation and deals with one or two cases a year of people who stay in the rental for two months to help them get back on their feet and their finances together.

The CAA works closely with other agencies, including the homeless charity Home, the police and organisations such as the Transformational Living Centre, which, according to its website, “empowers, transforms and supports women and their children to move beyond poverty through a safe and healing environment that promotes growth, transformation and sustainability”.

She said the TLC did excellent work, but suggested that the island could benefit from another similar centre.

“The rents are through the roof,” Ms Shiell said. “There are people out there who genuinely want to do better for themselves, their children and their friends.

“I’ve talked to a couple people and say, ‘Do you have a friend? Do you have a cousin that you can get along with and the two of you can move in together?’ If the two of you get together, it will be, say, $1,500 or $2,000 per person, which is cheaper than being by yourself.”