Oil Development and Intimate Partner Violence: Implementation of Section 8 Housing Policies in the Bakken Region of North Dakota and Montana

Abstract

One of the challenges survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) often face is securing safe and affordable housing. Many survivors qualify for public housing programs such as the Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program and tenant-based Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP). These programs can be vital for survivors fleeing abuse and trying to rebuild their lives. But how might regional conditions such as rapid population growth resulting from an oil boom affect the implementation of such programs for survivors? In addition, what role might such policies play in preventing future violence in resource boom communities? Analyzing existing policies and qualitative data collected from in-depth interviews with survivors, community members, and service providers in the Bakken region of North Dakota and Montana, we evaluate the implementation of Section 8 housing programs in oil-affected communities for survivors of IPV. We find that survivors of IPV often had a difficult time accessing affordable housing in the Bakken. Eligibility restrictions prevented some survivors from utilizing Section 8 housing programs, some landlords opted out of Section 8 program participation at the height of the oil boom, and the housing crisis may have simultaneously contributed to low utilization of housing vouchers. These conditions increased vulnerability for IPV survivors. We conclude by exploring the impact of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), state, and local initiatives on housing access and affordability, and the efficacy of Section 8 housing programs during the oil boom. Understanding the relationship between natural resource development, rapid population increases, housing inflation, and Section 8 housing programs should be considered as policy makers prioritize social programs in boomtown communities that may affect the well-being and safety of IPV survivors.

A perfect storm: Violence toward women in the Bakken oil patch

“…Some permanent residents, such as seniors or individuals on fixed incomes, leave the community after their living costs become unaffordable. Subsidized housing is seldom a viable option for newcomers or permanent residents as the rates paid by the government are a fraction of the inflated market prices (Jayasundara et al, 2018). Losing permanent residents, and especially seniors, due to unaffordable housing reduces the informal social control in these communities.…”

“…Section 8, or subsidized housing, is an option for victims of family violence, but after a boom occurs these benefits are almost impossible to access. In their analysis of housing in the Bakken, Jayasundara et al (2018) found that eligibility restrictions prevented some survivors from accessing this housing as landlords opted out of the Section 8 program after rents increased. As a result, even when survivors of family violence are approved for subsidized housing, they are unable to find lodging within the approved budget.…”

The Gendered Impacts of Boomtowns: How Financial Dependence, Family, and Victimization Intersect with Hegemonic Masculinity

“…They noted that women often follow their partners to boomtowns and owing to the lack of gainful employment opportunities, they become dependent on their partners. Similarly, Jayasundara et al (2018) found that in the Bakken region of North Dakota and Montana in the US, the oil and natural gas boom increased women's vulnerability owing to a lack of available and affordable housing from which to escape violent situations. Participants in our study also explained the increase in domestic violence as being closely related to the instability of the industry as it puts stress on workers.…”

“…Also, women's lack of employment opportunities in lucrative extractive industry jobs makes it difficult to find affordable housing. For example, in addition to the inflated housing and rent prices that put many housing accommodations in boomtowns out of economic reach, there are long wait periods for subsidized housing in boomtowns, which puts single mothers and women working to escape intimate partner violence at a particular disadvantage (Jayasundara et al, 2018). Affordable childcare is also hard to find in boomtown areas which limits women's employment options and furthers women's economic dependence on their partners (Fernando & Cooley, 2016;Ruddell, 2017).…”

Profiling the life course of resource-based boomtowns: A key step in crime prevention

“…With the exception of Fort McMurray, Alberta, however, very few of these places receive much attention as they are often small towns in rural and remote places that are both out of sight and out of mind. The challenges created by rapid population growth, however, are of critical importance to the residents, as well as the workers in the health, education, social service, and justice systems who must respond to escalating demands for services with inadequate resources (Jayasundara, Danis, Legerski et al, 2018).…”