Enhancing Housing Security of Domestic Violence Survivors

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Enhancing Housing Security of Domestic Violence
Survivors

• Kris Billhardt
• Volunteers of America, Oregon - Home Free
• kbillhardt_at_voaor.org

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VOA Home Free
Emergency Services
Out-stationed Services
Childrens Services
Housing First and Transitional Services
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Domestic Violence and Homelessness

• Families comprise 40 of homeless population and
  is fastest growing segment
  
• 60 of homeless women have children
• Nine of ten homeless mothers been victims of
  violence, often domestic
  
• 2/3 of homeless women have been assaulted by an
  adult partner
  
• 38 of all DV survivors become homeless at some
  point
  

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The Link Between DV and Housing Insecurity

• 22-57 of homeless women identify DV as the main
  cause of their homelessness
  
• 46 of homeless women report having stayed in an
  abusive relationship because they had nowhere
  else to go
  
• Housing insecurity strongly implicated in return
  to an abuser
  
• Poor women experience DV at higher rates and have
  fewer resources with which to seek/maintain safe
  and stable housing
  
• DV has significant effects on many areas of
  survivors lives that can increase risk of
  poverty and homelessness ( physical mental
  health, employment, education, social supports)

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DV and Housing Insecurity

• Homelessness is only one end of a continuum of
  housing problems faced by women experiencing DV
  
• Missed or late payments for rent/utilities
• Compromises selling belongings or skipping food
  to make payments
  
• Ineligibility for housing services due to credit,
  landlord, or criminal justice problems
  
• Some families face barriers to using emergency
  shelters
  
• Racism results in disproportionate number of
  survivors of color among the homeless
  

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The Need for Specialized Services

• Denials, evictions, ruined credit, lease
  terminations often based on violence/abuser
  interference
  
• Survivors experience discrimination based on
  status as victims
  
• High density/high violence in public housing
  complexes may place women at continued risk,
  trigger trauma
  

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The Need for Specialized Services

• Women who move to housing where the abuser cant
  find them are more likely to be re-assaulted by
  the most dangerous abusers
  
• Stalking, harassment, on-going violence and
  threats by the perpetrator may occur even after
  survivor is housed
  
• When obstacles to affordable housing seem
  insurmountable, this may mean a return to a
  dangerous home
  

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The Need for Specialized Services

• More than ½ of domestic violence survivors live
  in households with children under 12
  
• 47 of homeless school-aged children and 29 of
  homeless children under 5 have witnessed domestic
  violence in their families
  
• Witnessing violence has significant negative
  impact on development, behavior, education,
  health, mental health, and increased risk- taking
  behaviors as adolescents and adults

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SHARE Study

• Effectiveness of a Housing Intervention for
  Battered WomenCo-PI Chiquita Rollins,
  PhDNancy Glass, PhD, MPH, RNMultnomah County,
  Oregon U49CE000520-01 Centers for Disease
  Control and Prevention, National Center for
  Injury Prevention and Control

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SHARE Study Design

• Participants Women domestic violence victims,
  age 18-64
  
• Study begins at post-crisis stage of service
  delivery
  
• Data collected
• Outcomes for women and their children
• Cost of domestic violence and cost effectiveness
  of the housing models
  
• Interviews at 6-month intervals for 18 months,
  with reimbursement
  
• Qualitative interviews focusing on
  inter-relationships between housing and
  victimization
  
• Cost effectiveness study

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SHARE Results Baseline Preliminary (89
participants)

• Almost one-quarter (24.7) of participants
  reported it was very unlikely to unlikely that
  they would be able to pay for housing this month
  (month of the interview).
• An additional 21.5 reported that it was somewhat
  likely that they would be able to pay for housing.

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SHARE Results Baseline Preliminary

• The vast majority (88.8) of women reported
  difficulty in meeting basic needs (e.g. food,
  transportation, health care visits).
  
• Over one-third (37.2) of women reported often to
  sometimes not having enough food to eat.
  
• Almost half (49.4) of women reported their
  general health as poor or fair in the past 6
  months

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SHARE Results Risk Factors for Housing
Instability
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SHARE Results Risk of Lethal Violence

• Danger Assessment (20 item measure of risk for
  lethal violence in abusive relationships)
  
• Mean score 11.4 (extreme danger for lethal
  violence)
  
• Examined the correlation between risk of housing
  instability and risk of lethal violence
  
• Increased housing instability was significantly
  associated with increased risk of lethal
  violence.
  

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DV/Housing Link Requires An Integrated Approach

• Finding and keeping housing is one of the
  greatest barriers faced by women who leave
  abusers
  
• Mothers with less stable financial, social, and
  living situations reported their children to have
  intervened more during past violent incidents
  
• Women who secure housing reduce their chances of
  re-victimization, but housing vouchers not paired
  with special interventions may not be effective
  
• Women linked with advocates during post-crisis
  period report higher quality of life, more social
  supports and less re-victimization

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What Can Be Done DV Providers

• In addition to continued focus on immediate
  safety, incorporate services that respond to
  survivors critical need for housing as part of
  DV advocacy
• Expand ability to provide long-term advocacy
  involvement with survivors
  
• Identify ways for some staff to provide mobile
  services
  
• Intervene with landlords to help overcome
  barriers based on credit or rental history
  
• Develop relationship with local housing authority
  
  
• Form partnerships with homeless services
  providers
  
• Be a voice in your communitys Ten-Year Plan

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What Can Be Done Homeless Service Providers

• Form partnerships with your local DV agencies
• Screen for and be prepared to address domestic
  violence
  
• Develop safety planning protocol (for use with
  victims and in housing facilities)
  
• Incorporate awareness of batterers on-going
  stalking, harassment and assaults into policy and
  practice
  
• Training for staff that includes strong focus on
  countering victim-blaming
  
• Link to other community resources vital for
  safety (law enforcement, civil legal, courts,
  protection orders)
  
• Screen for and respond to needs of children
  exposed to batterers
  

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What Can Be Done DV and Homeless Service
Providers

• Cooperative - not competitive!- advocacy for more
  funding
  
• Advocate for change in federal housing policy
  (ex. HUD definition of chronic homelessness and
  special needs that limits federal housing
  support)
• Training, training, training!
• Partnerships galore
• Survivor-driven approaches
• Trauma-informed services
• Be willing to create new models

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Home Frees Housing First Program

• Eligibility Immediate DV crisis somewhat
  stabilized, housing stabilization a primary
  need, financial resourcefulness compromised by
  DV/other barriers
• Staffed by mobile advocates
• Earmarked funds for direct client assistance
• 8-12 participants per advocate
• Duration of services Up to two years
• Scattered-site model (private market or public
  housing)

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Advocacy Services Include

• Danger Assessment and ongoing safety planning
• Accompaniment to appointments, court hearings
• Housing search, job search, job training
  referrals
  
• Home visits
• Rental subsidy and other direct financial
  assistance
  
• Systems navigation/coordinate with other
  providers
  
• Advocacy with landlords, Housing Authority
• Linkages to civil legal and immigration law
  services
  
• Direct services to children
• Help with budgeting, goal planning
• DV and parenting support groups

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Who We Are Serving
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Early Results
89 Obtained Housing 92
remain in housing Avg. time in
housing TD 13 mo. (range 1 30
mo.)