Housing Stability and Intimate Partner Violence

Multnomah County, Oregon’s Domestic Violence Coordinator’s OfficeFebruary 9, 2007

Prevalence of Domestic Violence/Intimate Partner Abuse

1 in 4 women in the US report physical/sexual assault by an intimate partner Young women, poor women at greater risk

Significant negative effects on multiple areas of a survivor’s life which can increase risk of poverty or homelessness Physical/mental health Employment/financial Relationships, social supports Housing

Domestic Violence and Housing Stability of Low-Income Women

Poor women experience domestic violence at higher rates and have fewer resources with which to seek/maintain safe and stable housing Nearly 2/3 of homeless women have been

assaulted by an adult partner More than one-third (38%) of all domestic

violence survivors become homeless at some point

22-57% of homeless women identify domestic violence as main cause of their homelessness

Domestic Violence and Housing Stability

Homelessness is only one part 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 or staying with a violent partner

• Ruined credit• Apartment damage, bad rental history due to

partner’s actions• Discrimination based on status as victims

Domestic Violence and Housing Stability

Obstacles to affordable housing may seem insurmountable; many remain with or return to abuser

High density/high violence in public housing complexes may place women at continued risk

Stalking, harassment, on-going violence and threats by the perpetrator leads to repeated choice between homelessness and abuse

Denials, evictions, lease terminations based on violence/abuser interference

Effects of Domestic Violence on Children

More than ½ of domestic violence survivors live in households with children under 12

Witnessing violence has significant negative impact on development, behavior, education, health, mental health, and increased risk taking behaviors as adolescents and adults

Housing Instability and Children

Families comprise 40% of homeless population and is the fastest growing segment of homeless

60% of homeless women have children 47% of homeless school-aged children and 29% of

homeless children under 5 have witnessed domestic violence in their families

Not a brief episode, on average, children are homeless for 10 months at a time (an entire school year)

Adverse effects Academic achievement Physical/emotional health (sick at 2x rate of

children with stable housing) Hunger

Domestic Violence in Multnomah County

Estimated 28,000 victims; 60% have children Over 50% of all reported violent crime, with 10,000

police reports/year Largest contributing factor to county and area

homicides (25-30%) Significant factor in 35% of long-term child

abuse/neglect cases 30,000 crisis calls annually to community-based

hotlines 15,000 domestic violence shelter bednights annually

(single women and families) Minimum cost to local government: $15 million

annually Cost to businesses estimated as $10 million

Homelessness Intervention in Multnomah County

Services organized into systems with little overlap: Homeless Family System Homeless Youth System Homeless Single Adults System (downtown homeless) Domestic Violence System – includes both families and

singles

Street outreach Day and overnight shelters Transitional housing, including special needs, (54%

resources) Low income housing Short term rent assistance/motel vouchering Prevention

Homelessness Intervention in Multnomah County

Consolidated plan: County/City share responsibilities for planning/contracting homeless and DV services

Citizens Commission on Homelessness oversees 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness process

Coordinating Committee moves Plan forward Numerous workgroups and initiatives

Coordinated Response to Domestic Violence in Multnomah County

Multi-layered; multi-jurisdiction response, focused on safety Criminal Justice System: 9-1-1, law

enforcement (6 agencies), specialized police, DA and probation units, courts, jail, DVERT, defense bar

Civil Justice System: family court bench, restraining and stalking orders, custody, visitation, dependency, supervised visitation, low cost legal representation

Domestic Violence Victim Services in Multnomah County

Victim Services – overlaps with homeless plan, but more expansive

24/7 Crisis/Access Lines Emergency Shelters Legal Advocacy and Representation Mobile Advocacy/Non-Residential Services Transitional/Permanent Housing Culturally Specific Non-Residential Services Services for Children Exposed to Batterers Supervised Visitation/Safe Exchange Co-located services (police, Child Welfare,

other)

Existing Domestic Violence-Specific Housing Interventions in Multnomah County

Emergency Shelters TA-DVS Motel Vouchers Transitional Housing (facility-

based and scattered site) VOA Home Free

Mobile advocacy with limited short term rent assistance

Housing First-permanent housing with DV-specific support services

Housing First as Expansion of Current Services

Need for crisis intervention, safety-focused services forms base for Housing First

Domestic Violence Emergency Shelters are essential to victims’ safety

Shelters work – reduce re-assault by 50-70%

Should We Move to Housing First Model?

No Housing First study that has focused on effectiveness for domestic violence victims

Women who secure housing reduce their chances of re-victimization

Women who move to housing where “the abuser can’t find them” are more likely to be re-assaulted by the most dangerous abusers

Women linked with advocates during post-crisis period report higher quality of life, more social supports and less re-victimization

Will it shift funding from crisis intervention of emergency shelters?

Housing First for Domestic Violence Survivors

Finding and keeping housing is one of greatest barriers faced by women who leave abusers

Significant barriers include: Lack of housing resources: Average

length of stay in shelter increased from 7 days in 1991 to 20+ days in 2006

Many victims not eligible for housing services due to credit, landlord or criminal justice problems

Housing First: Fills the Gap for Underserved Survivors

Barriers for some families to using DV emergency shelters Family size, composition or age of

children, pets

Substance abuse, mental illness or other problem with communal living

Language/cultural barriers

Community support systems, barriers or pressures

Conclusion

Housing for victims of domestic violence is critical need Requires additional funding and support Working with landlords to help overcome barriers

based on credit or rental history HUD focus on “special needs” and definition of

chronic homelessness limits federal housing support

Short term crisis intervention/stabilization period needed

Conclusions

Housing programs for women and families must screen for and address domestic violence, safety planning and legal recourse

Housing programs/policies must take into account batterers on-going stalking, harassment and assaults

Training for staff must include information about domestic violence and counter prevailing myth that “once a victim, always a victim”

Housing services for victims must link to other community resources vital for safety (law enforcement, courts, protection orders)

Children exposed to batterers need specialized services

And Finally

Survivor focused Partnerships, partnerships Flexibility, creativity and

advocacy