Amari
The Amari project (2017-2023) provided safe post-emergency accommodation for women experiencing sexual exploitation through prostitution or trafficking.
In partnership with:
Why was the project needed?
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Many women fleeing sexual exploitation and trafficking are denied housing and support after emergency accommodation. While transitional accommodation is rare, it also offers little or no support to help victims of exploitation to gain independent living skills.
Without continued safe housing and vital support, women can find themselves alone, struggling to maintain their links with employment, education or training, and subsequently at risk of homelessness or returning to the lives they left behind
The Housing Solution
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Through 10 properties Commonweal provided to Solace at subsidised rent, Amari offered 12-18 months of accommodation and wrap-around support from Solace staff. The project supported single women or those with a child under two, over the age of 18, who had been sexually exploited through prostitution or trafficking.
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Women also received at least three months of resettlement funds and assistance maintaining their tenancies to help improve their chances of securing a lease in the private rented sector.
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Project outcomes
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​Over the course of the project, 37 women were supported in their journey of recovery and independence.
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​Women self-reported drastic improvements in their wellbeing across health, peace of living, relationships, financial security and more.
​Amari is the successor to the Chrysalis project, launched in 2009 to support women exiting sexual exploitation. Funded by Lambeth Council and in partnership with St. Mungos, Chrysalis ended due to local funding cuts, and its learnings contributed to the creation of the Amari project.
"Before I would tell myself everything is going to be fine but it was just something that I told myself to get through things, whereas now I tell myself that and I know it, I really know it".
Amari resident
Key Learnings:
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An external evaluation conducted by Dr. Helen Johnson, an expert in women exiting prostitution, outlines the strengths and challenges of the Amari project, along with recommendations for local authorities and other organisations interested in adopting the model.
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The evaluation, which captures insights from the project's first three years of development, identifies how the combination of secure housing and tailored support from dedicated Solace support staff was crucial in helping women recover from trauma and rebuild their lives.
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Strengths of the project include:
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​Reduced burden on local authorities: By supporting women in maintaining their tenancies and developing independent living skills, the project enabled women to effectively engage with the service provision in a way that is reportedly difficult for other more generic services and local authorities to achieve. Amari also helped reach marginalised groups often seen as "hard to reach" by services, helping to break the cycle of homelessness and alleviate pressure on local authorities.
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The need for housing to support exit: For women exiting prostitution or recovering from being trafficked, the provision of adequate and secure housing is a core aspect of enabling them to move on and create lasting change.
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The effectiveness of a staged approach: Providing interim support between initial accommodation, such as hostels or refuges, and independent living allowed women to 'practice' living independently. This approach helped them address ongoing issues and build the necessary skills and resources to move on with their lives.
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The strength of a tailored approach: The wrap-around support provided by support workers was crafted to address each woman's specific needs, maximising the project's impact and effectiveness.
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Balancing support with independence: Amari's success lies in its ability to offer support while avoiding a "rescuer" mentality, promoting independence and encouraging engagement with other services.​ To achieve this, support staff exercised discretion to establish appropriate boundaries with tenants.
Given the positive impacts of the project, its unique operating model, and the strong demand from referring agencies – evidenced through interviews – the evaluation finds replicating this model would be a beneficial solution to the issues facing this cohort.​
Case Study ​
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A woman on the Amari project discusses the impact it has had on her life. She is originally from Albania and was trafficked, alongside her sister, by a man she believed to be her partner.
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"I was referred to the Amari project by my previous support worker from supported accommodation and I moved to a fully furnished one bedroom Amari property in 2017. I was pleased that I could live on my own because living in shared accommodation was very stressful for me. The women I used to live with in the previous house had their own problems and it had negative effect on my emotional and mental well-being.
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"My support worker helped me to settle down and make claim Housing benefit and Council Tax Support claims, and to set up bills in my name. I was also supported to get registered with local GP.
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"Amari helps me in every way possible. Due to the past trauma I experience weekly non-epileptic fits which can happen any time I get distressed or I talk about my past. The most difficult thing about those fits is that I don’t remember anything that happened before the fit, so when I gain consciousness back, I do not know where I am, who I am with or how to get home (if it happens outside). It affects my life a lot.
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"My support worker first referred me to Adult Social Care but they advised her to seek support from the local mental health service. I was linked with CPN and then with the neuropsychology department of my local hospital. What I appreciate is that my support worker attends all these stressful medical appointments with me. Most of the time I have the fit during those appointments and I would not be able to get back home without support.
"I was also referred to the Benefit Advice Service which helped me to make a claim for PIP. They first rejected my claim but I appealed and I have a tribunal coming up. My support worker will accompany me there to provide help and support. Additionally, my support worker liaised with other professionals like CPN and my GP to advocate on my behalf that I cannot attend the assessment for ESA. They were all successful, I did not have to attend the assessment and I am now receiving ESA support group, higher rate benefit. This means a lot to me – this means that I have enough money to travel to see my sister and two nephews who live far. My sister and my nephews are all my world and it is important for me to see them regularly.
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"On top of all this, my support worker recently applied for a holiday grant and I was awarded £350. This grant allowed me to travel to another country where I met with my other sister who I hadn’t seen for over 10 years.
"I cannot say “thank you” enough to the Amari Project."
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