Violence against women is a leading cause of homelessness nationwide. Ensuring safe and affordable housing is essential for survivors of domestic violence and for preventing and ending homelessness.
At the urging of advocacy groups to address issues facing victims in public and Section 8 housing, the U.S. Congress included important new housing provisions in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), in January 2006, which provide protections for victims of domestic violence.
The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP) launched this project to gather information on violations of VAWA housing provisions. NLCHP analyzed over 3300 HUD-approved PHA plans to determine if the PHAs were complying with the law. In addition, NLCHP, along with key partners, launched a nationwide survey of service providers to assess their experiences with denials and evictions based on domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.
