‘Having housing made everything else possible’: Affordable, safe and stable housing for women survivors of violence

Abstract

Research indicates that the need for safe housing and the economic resources to maintain safe housing are two of the most pressing concerns among abused women who are planning to or have recently left abusers. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is frequently an immediate cause or precursor to homelessness and housing instability. The aim of the study is to explore abused women’s experiences accessing affordable, safe, and stable housing. To achieve the aim, adult female IPV survivors answered questions about: 1) steps that were taken to secure housing; 2) safety issues after leaving the abuser; 3) barriers to obtaining housing; and 4) responses from housing and domestic violence advocacy systems related to survivors’ housing needs. Four major themes emerged from the in-depth interviews: 1) stable, affordable housing is critical in increasing safety; 2) survivors face multiple systemic or individual barriers; 3) survivors develop and utilize an array of creative and resourceful strategies; and 4) survivors identified a variety of supportive services tailored to address their needs. The findings inform practice, policy and research for both the housing and domestic violence service systems with an emphasis on collaboration to meet the complex safety and stable housing needs of survivors and their families, particularly following the impact on housing of the 2008 U.S. economic crisis and subsequent recession.

Social inclusion for women experiencing homelessness

“…Other researchers have found similar findings, with women opting not to live in specific housing due to fear of their safety and their family's safety (Clough, Draughon, Njie-Carr, Rollins, & Glass, 2014;Lazarus, Chettiar, Deering, Nabess, & Shannon, 2011). This finding is an example of the gendered nature of poverty, where women are forced into homelessness due to safety concerns.…”

Gender-Based Violence Against Transgender People in the United States: A Call for Research and Programming

“…Unstable housing situations, which are common among trans populations in the United States, further affect survivors' ability to seek services or report cases of violence. Research among cisgender women has demonstrated that appropriate housing better positions GBV survivors to seek services and, when necessary and/or if desired, to end abusive relationships (Clough, Draughon, Njie-Carr, Rollins, & Glass, 2014). For trans people, violence may be perpetrated by family members residing in the same household.…”

Developing a Theory of Economic Solvency for Women Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence

“…Housing that could be considered an asset had to be safe and affordable, with or without assistance from private or government agencies. Women who have experienced IPV face many barriers that lead to unstable housing, such as disruptions from the abuser causing problems with landlords or lack of resources from social service agencies (Clough, Draughon, Njie-Carr, Rollins, & Glass, 2014). Women in this study described losing houses due to abuser behavior or inability to pay, and difficulty finding housing in an urgent situation, such as leaving an abusive partner.…”