Ms Fiona Ryan:

-----and she is with her kids in a refuge, if she is lucky, and then with homeless services. Thereafter, it will fall back on the local authority again to house that family. To bring it back full circle, this is one point I made to the committee. Our challenge in appearing before the committee today was to have members understand the role domestic violence plays in creating homelessness for families, women and children, and that a multi-tiered response is needed, starting at national policy level. Such a response would start with a national homelessness strategy that recognises one size does not fit all. Gender-based violence has an impact and contributes to homelessness. While housing will form part of the solution for the vast majority of people, it is not the only solution. A tiered accommodation response is required, with risk and safety at its centre, and we need that multi-agency working.