Housing Interventions for Intimate Partner Violence Survivors: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors are much more likely to experience housing insecurity or homelessness than those who have not experienced IPV. However, little comprehensive research has evaluated the effectiveness of interventions used to address IPV survivors’ housing insecurity. To address this knowledge gap, our team conducted a systematic review guided by three questions: (a) What are current interventions for addressing IPV survivors’ housing needs? (b) What are the methodological strengths and limitations of the research evaluating those interventions? (c) How effective are the identified interventions? We identified potentially relevant peer-reviewed and gray literature using variations of predetermined search terms and four search methods. Twelve articles met inclusion criteria. Accordingly, this study showed that there is an overall dearth of research concerning interventions that address IPV survivors’ housing insecurity and needs. Shelter is the most commonly assessed and available housing intervention for IPV survivors, but only limited empirical evaluation is available of shelter effectiveness. In addition, findings indicate both traditional shelter services and innovative interventions (e.g., rapid rehousing, flexible funding) would benefit from rigorous evaluation including examining survivor and situation characteristics contributing to housing strategy effectiveness.

“Don’t Know where to Go for Help”: Safety and Economic Needs among Violence Survivors during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Considering that unemployment rates were between 13 and 14% when the survey was fielded, rates higher than the recession of 2008 (Kochhar 2020 ), this finding was not surprising. Survivors of IPV, sexual assault and other forms of interpersonal violence already disproportionately experience economic and housing insecurity (Danis and Bhandari 2010 ; Klein et al 2019 ), which is exacerbated by the economic conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings indicate that employment, childcare, workplace conditions, and access to resources and housing are major concerns for violence survivors who are also addressing complex safety needs.…”

Survivors’ Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence and Shelter Utilization During COVID-19

“…Pre COVID-19 research (e.g., Anderson et al, 2012 ; Eckhardt et al, 2013 ; Song & Shih, 2010 ) shows that survivors frequently report satisfaction with IPV services such as shelter services, citing positive experiences where they felt safe, supported, and experienced increased personal growth (e.g., levels of self-esteem, self-acceptance, and self-efficacy). Further, IPV housing interventions demonstrate effectiveness in reducing exposure to violence (Klein et al, 2021 ). These were experiences shared by survivors who were sheltering-in-place away from their abusive partner, highlighting the critical role of housing supports, emergency shelters, and transitional housing in providing safety for survivors in case of a public health emergency.…”

Improving Safe Housing Access for Domestic Violence Survivors Through Systems Change

“…Beyond shelter, there are innovative and evidence-based housing relief and homelessness prevention approaches for survivors of DV that span site-based transitional housing to direct cash relief, or flexible funding. DV housing beyond shelter includes voucher-based rapid rehousing and project based and scattered site transitional housing, though most of these programs have yet to be rigorously evaluated (Klein, Chesworth, Howland-Myers, Rizo, & Macy, 2019). Domestic violence transitional housing (DVTH) is a time limited program approach for those needing additional supportive services (Clark, Wood, & Sullivan, 2018).…”