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In the context of the COVID-19 crisis – in addition to the health, social and economic impacts of the pandemic – domestic violence has been identified by academia, policymakers and society as a serious threat to individuals and society. Police crime statistics for Saxony confirm that domestic violence has increased. This rise is also exacerbated by precarious housing conditions, whether due to a shortage of or inadequate living space, tenancy arrangements that make it difficult to escape domestic violence, a lack of housing prospects following a stay in women’s shelters, or the use of digital devices to control partners. At the same time, there is a disparity in the availability of support organisations and networks for at-risk partners and children between urban and rural areas. These issues will be addressed by an interdisciplinary research centre dedicated to the prevention of domestic violence and the promotion of safe housing, which will bring together expertise from the economic and social sciences, psychology and the humanities, and which is also open to collaboration with regional support organisations, the housing sector and research from technical disciplines.