About WHAG
A History of Women’s Housing Action Group
Women’s Housing Action Group (WHAG) was established in Rochdale in 1981 by Rose Sumner. The aim of the organisation was to provide affordable supported accommodation to women aged 16-65 who were homeless, and Rose was determined that the accommodation would be affordable for women in employment. At the time the only provision for women in the borough was for women fleeing domestic violence. Any other homelessness provision was just for men.
Originally WHAG was situated on the Cloverhall estate in Rochdale and all accommodation was shared. Over the years this became unsuitable as women did not want to share a bedroom with a stranger.
In 1996, working in partnership with St Vincent’s Housing and Rochdale Council, WHAG moved to premises on Manchester Road, named Rose Court after Rose Sumner. This provided self-contained flats for 16 women. At that time WHAG were also able to secure some lottery funding to provide resettlement service to women as they moved on.
WHAG then began to look at the wider needs of women and through monies from the Housing Corporations innovation and good practice grant we were able to commission a piece of research in 1999 via Salford University. This research ‘The Housing and Support needs of Women especially those from the Ethnic Minorities’ informed development and in 2002 WHAG established a Black and Minority Ethnic Development Project to offer support to BME women and to further extend the research. This was funded for three years by the Community Fund, and is now funded through Supporting People. WHAG have also expanded this service to include a Bengali speaking worker.
In 2000 WHAG secured funding from the NSF fund to provide out reach work to 16-19 year olds and this proved very successful and continued until 2003 when it was absorbed into the floating support service.
In 2001, again in partnership with St Vincent’s Housing Association, WHAG began offering floating support to women aged 16-65 living in a St Vincent’s Tenancy. This service was expanded in 2003 with the advent of Supporting People to provide support to women in any tenancy across the borough of Rochdale.
In 2008 WHAG expanded its work into Bury through a grant via the GM Community Foundation to offer support and crisis intervention to vulnerable women and women experiencing domestic violence in Bury. In 2009 this service was extended thanks to a one off donation from Bury Women’s Aid.
In 2009 WHAG also successfully tendered to deliver Floating Support services to women experiencing and fleeing domestic violence in the borough of Bury. By the end of 2009 WHAG will be offering services to over 150 women across both boroughs.
