Understanding the landscape of domestic violence transitional housing: services and housing for rural and non-rural clientele

Abstract

Housing support is one of the most powerful and in-demand remedies to address domestic violence (DV), with almost 40,000 survivors served daily in U.S. based DV housing programmes. DV transitional housing (DVTH) provides a critical safety net of longer-term housing for survivors beyond emergency shelters. Despite its wide use, little research has documented who is using DVTH, their needs, and how programme environment and location impact service provision. Using five years of data from U.S. government funded DVTH programmes, this study examines client and programme characteristics with attention to rurality. Findings indicate demographic, service engagement, and length of stay differences among DVTH clients within rural and non-rural locations. Programme environments and service provision significantly varied between rural and non-rural programmes. Results highlight substantial heterogeneity in programme structure, client demographics, and services engagement across non-rural and rural programmes. The wide range of DVTH types and service use indicate the need for dynamic and flexible support and funding to address survivor-defined needs.