Domestic Violence and Housing Problems

Abstract

This study examined housing problems and homelessness after separation in a sample of 110 women who had experienced domestic violence. Of the sample, 38% reported homelessness. Similar percentages reported housing problems (e.g., late paying rent, skipping meals, threatened with eviction). Predictors of more housing problems included experiencing a greater severity of violence, contacting fewer formal systems, having less informational support, and receiving a negative response from welfare. Women's odds of reporting homelessness were reduced by 30% if police officers responded positively. These findings highlight the importance of changing system responses in an effort to reduce women's housing problems and risks for homelessness after separation.

Conceptualizing Housing Instability: Experiences with Material and Psychological Instability Among Women Living with Partner Violence

“…While housing instability was a major challenge for women during all three time periods, our findings confirm what has been extensively reported in the previous work (e.g., Anderson & Saunders, 2003;Baker et al, 2003;Bassuk et al, 2006;Buel, 1999;Campbell et al, 1998;Galano et al, 2013;Hardesty & Chung, 2006;Hughes et al, 2011) that women living with IPV or its aftermath also experienced a range of co-occurring challenges that add to her hardship, such as severe psychological health distress, financial and employment instability, insufficient social support, and parenting challenges. The impact of these additional challenges in our sample was often intertwined (e.g., housing and financial instability, insufficient support and parenting challenges) such that the experience became overwhelming and their collective impact could not be separated or considered merely additive to the housing hardships women faced.…”

“…Several studies have documented the high risk of housing instability and homelessness as a consequence of partner violence (Baker et al, 2003;Browne & Bassuk, 1997;Jasinski et al, 2002;Levin et al, 2004;Metraux & Culhane, 1999;Shinn et al, 1998). Pavao et al (2007) compared housing instability among women who reported experiencing past-year IPV versus those who did not; housing instability was measured by late mortgage/rent payments, being without one's own housing, and moving more than once over a 12-month period (Pavao et al, 2007).…”

Indigenous Approaches to Housing-Induced Domestic Conflict Management in Ondo City, Nigeria

“…The 2003 Massachusetts Domestic Violence Homicide Report notes that suicide can be attributed to domestic violence incidents (Lauby et al, 2006) which has accounted for significant death among male victims (Davis, 2010). Baker, et al (2003) reported that a number of homelessness resulted from domestic violence. Increasing gap among ethnic nationalities has also been aggravated due to domestic violence (Ellingsen, 2000).…”

Transition houses: Safety, security, and compassion.

“…Further to the connection between social policy and funding cuts impacting women is research that indicates a relationship between domestic violence and female homelessness (Baker, Cook, & Norris, 2003). Often, women may have to find new housing to escape their partners' abuse, and particularly for low income women, the search for new housing is increasingly difficult because few low income housing units are available and federal housing programs have long waiting lists (Baker, Cook & Norris, 2003).…”

“…Often, women may have to find new housing to escape their partners' abuse, and particularly for low income women, the search for new housing is increasingly difficult because few low income housing units are available and federal housing programs have long waiting lists (Baker, Cook & Norris, 2003). Therefore, if women can't afford their own housing, women will require longer periods in temporary shelters in order to find affordable accommodation, and may often be forced to return to their partner which in turn, may lead to an increase in the number of times accessing temporary services at the transition house.…”