Transcript Responding to Violence Against Women through a Housing

Enhancing Housing
Security of
Domestic Violence
Survivors
Kris Billhardt
Volunteers of America, Oregon -
Home Free
[email protected]
VOA Home Free
Emergency
Services
Out-stationed
Services
Children’s
Services
Housing First and
Transitional
Services
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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Domestic Violence and
Homelessness
Families comprise 40% of homeless
population and is fastest growing segment
60% of homeless women have children
Nine of ten homeless mothers been victims
of violence, often domestic
2/3 of homeless women have been assaulted
by an adult partner
38% of all DV survivors become homeless at
some point
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
3
The Link Between DV and
Housing Insecurity
22-57% of homeless women identify DV as the main cause of
their homelessness
46% of homeless women report having stayed in an abusive
relationship because they had nowhere else to go
Housing insecurity strongly implicated in return to an abuser
Poor women experience DV at higher rates and have fewer
resources with which to seek/maintain safe and stable housing
DV has significant effects on many areas of survivors’ lives that
can increase risk of poverty and homelessness ( physical &
mental health, employment, education, social supports)
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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DV and Housing Insecurity
Homelessness is only one end 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
Ineligibility for housing services due to credit,
landlord, or criminal justice problems
Some families face barriers to using emergency
shelters
Racism results in disproportionate number of
survivors of color among the homeless
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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The Need for Specialized
Services
Denials, evictions, ruined credit, lease
terminations often based on
violence/abuser interference
Survivors experience discrimination
based on status as victims
High density/high violence in public
housing complexes may place women
at continued risk, trigger trauma
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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The Need for Specialized
Services
Women who move to housing where “the
abuser can’t find them” are more likely to
be re-assaulted by the most dangerous
abusers
Stalking, harassment, on-going violence and
threats by the perpetrator may occur even
after survivor is housed
When obstacles to affordable housing seem
insurmountable, this may mean a return to a
dangerous home
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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The Need for Specialized
Services
More than ½ of domestic violence survivors
live in households with children under 12
47% of homeless school-aged children and
29% of homeless children under 5 have
witnessed domestic violence in their families
Witnessing violence has significant negative
impact on development, behavior, education,
health, mental health, and increased risktaking behaviors as adolescents and adults
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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SHARE Study:
“Effectiveness of a Housing Intervention
for Battered Women”
Co-PI: Chiquita Rollins, PhD
Nancy Glass, PhD, MPH, RN
Multnomah County, Oregon
U49CE000520-01 Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, National Center for Injury
Prevention and Control
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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SHARE: Study Design
Participants: Women domestic violence victims, age 18-64
Study begins at “post-crisis” stage of service delivery
Data collected:
Outcomes for women and their children
Cost of domestic violence and cost effectiveness of the housing
models
Interviews at 6-month intervals for 18 months, with reimbursement
Qualitative interviews focusing on inter-relationships between
housing and victimization
Cost effectiveness study
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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SHARE Results: Baseline
Preliminary (89 participants)
Almost one-quarter (24.7%) of participants
reported it was very unlikely to unlikely that
they would be able to pay for housing this
month (month of the interview).
An additional 21.5% reported that it was
somewhat likely that they would be able to
pay for housing.
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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SHARE Results: Baseline
Preliminary
The vast majority (88.8%) of women reported
difficulty in meeting basic needs (e.g. food,
transportation, health care visits).
Over one-third (37.2%) of women reported often
to sometimes not having enough food to eat.
Almost half (49.4%) of women reported their
general health as poor or fair in the past 6
months
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
12
SHARE Results: Risk Factors
for Housing Instability
1. Had to live somewhere did not want to in the past 6
months
81%
2. Difficulty paying for housing in past 6 months
75%
3. Had to borrow money from family/friends to pay for
housing in past 6 months
45%
4. Trouble with landlord (e.g. taking side of abusive
partner during/after incident; charging fees for damage
caused by partner) in past 6 months
44.3%
5. Landlord threatened to evict in past 6 months
31.4%
6. Served an eviction notice in past 6 months
24%
7. Do not expect to stay in current housing
64%
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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SHARE Results: Risk of
Lethal Violence
Danger Assessment (20 item measure of risk
for lethal violence in abusive relationships)
Mean score =11.4 (extreme danger for
lethal violence)
Examined the correlation between risk of
housing instability and risk of lethal violence
Increased housing instability was
significantly associated with increased
risk of lethal violence.
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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DV/Housing Link Requires
An Integrated Approach
Finding and keeping housing is one of the greatest
barriers faced by women who leave abusers
 Mothers with less stable financial, social, and living
situations reported their children to have intervened
more during past violent incidents
 Women who secure housing reduce their chances of
re-victimization, but housing vouchers not paired
with special interventions may not be effective
 Women linked with advocates during post-crisis
period report higher quality of life, more social
supports and less re-victimization
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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What Can Be Done: DV
Providers
In addition to continued focus on immediate safety,
incorporate services that respond to survivors’ critical
need for housing as part of DV advocacy
Expand ability to provide long-term advocacy
involvement with survivors
Identify ways for some staff to provide mobile services
Intervene with landlords to help overcome barriers based
on credit or rental history
Develop relationship with local housing authority
Form partnerships with homeless services providers
Be a voice in your community’s Ten-Year Plan
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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What Can Be Done:
Homeless Service Providers
Form partnerships with your local DV agencies
Screen for and be prepared to address domestic violence
Develop safety planning protocol (for use with victims and
in housing facilities)
Incorporate awareness of batterers’ on-going stalking,
harassment and assaults into policy and practice
Training for staff that includes strong focus on countering
victim-blaming
Link to other community resources vital for safety (law
enforcement, civil legal, courts, protection orders)
Screen for and respond to needs of children exposed to
batterers
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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What Can Be Done – DV and
Homeless Service Providers
Cooperative - not competitive!- advocacy for
more funding
Advocate for change in federal housing
policy (ex. HUD definition of chronic
homelessness and “special needs” that
limits federal housing support)
Training, training, training!
Partnerships galore
Survivor-driven approaches
Trauma-informed services
Be willing to create new models
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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Home Free’s Housing
First Program
Eligibility: Immediate DV crisis somewhat
stabilized, housing stabilization a primary
need, financial resourcefulness
compromised by DV/other barriers
Staffed by mobile advocates
Earmarked funds for direct client assistance
8-12 participants per advocate
Duration of services: Up to two years
Scattered-site model (private market or
public housing)
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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Advocacy Services Include:
Danger Assessment and ongoing safety planning
Accompaniment to appointments, court hearings
Housing search, job search, job training referrals
Home visits
Rental subsidy and other direct financial assistance
Systems navigation/coordinate with other providers
Advocacy with landlords, Housing Authority
Linkages to civil legal and immigration law services
Direct services to children
Help with budgeting, goal planning
DV and parenting support groups
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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Who We Are Serving
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
U.S. Not
Disability 16% Arrest History
Country of Origin
23%
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
26%
Alcohol and
Drug History
Mental Health Households with
History 46%
30%
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
Children 80%
Involvement
with Child
Welfare System
63%
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Early Results
80
89%
Obtained
Housing
70
60
92% remain
in housing
50
40
Avg. time in
housing TD:
13 mo.
(range 1 – 30
mo.)
30
20
10
0
Enrolled
NAEH Annual Conference
7/10/07
Obtained
Housing
Remains in Left Program
Housing
Kris Billhardt, VOA Oregon - Home Free
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