‘There’s Just All These Moving Parts:’ Helping Domestic Violence Survivors Obtain Housing

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the most common and devastating forms of violence occurring worldwide. Being victimized by an intimate partner or ex-partner can lead to numerous negative consequences for survivors and their children, including physical and mental health problems as well as housing instability and financial devastation. IPV is a leading cause of homelessness, and helping IPV survivors obtain affordable housing is a growing focus of staff working within domestic violence victim service programs. Unfortunately, in this time of decreasing resources, funders are expecting programs to serve an increasing number of survivors, putting advocates in the precarious position of feeling that they lack the time to provide the effort needed to adequately serve survivors with multiple needs. The purpose of this study was to better understand the complexities involved in helping IPV survivors obtain safe and stable housing, and reflect on the importance of integrating critical reflection, intersectionality, and key principles of social work practice into this important work. In-depth interviews with 11 advocates illustrated how time-consuming and complicated it can be to successfully house IPV survivors. Themes focused on: (1) the need to understand and continually address safety; (2) the need to understand and continually address trauma; (3) the importance of community connections; (4) the time-consuming nature of system factors; and (5) the importance of addressing multiple, interrelated issues and not just housing. Policy implications are discussed.