Domestic Violence and Public and Subsidized Housing

Addressing the Needs of Battered Tenants Through Local Housing Policy

One of the leading causes of homelessness in the United States is domestic violence. For the women and families who must flee their homes, public housing becomes critical in choosing bewteen life with an abuser or life on the street. Because of the severe lack of affordable housing and the housing discrimination faced by domestic violence survivors, public housing is often not an available option.

This publication discusses the barriers domestic violence survivors face when applying for public housing or housing vouchers, the unique needs of a domestic violence survivor, as well as the recommendations made by the US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) in providing for victims of domestic abuse. This report states that public housing authorities should adopt policies to avoid sex discrimination against survivors of domestic violence, they should prioritize the needs of survivors of domestic violence, and they should clarify their policies to allow domestic violence survivors to remain in public housing if an abuser is evicted.

The document also calls on advocacy groups to form coalitions because policies are often made and implemented at the local level.

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