“It Actually Isn’t Just about Housing”: Supporting Survivor Success in a Domestic Violence Housing First Program

Abstract

Domestic violence (DV) agencies are increasingly utilizing tailored Housing First (HF) approaches to assist homeless and unstably housed survivors. Research, however, has yet to sufficiently explore how DV advocates who work in DVHF programs conceptualize success for survivors or what strategies they use to facilitate that success. This case study involved in-depth interviews with the DV advocates in one DVHF program (n = 7). Conventional content analysis resulted in two main themes: a) advocates define survivor success in a DVHF program as much more than just obtaining housing; and b) advocates facilitate survivor success through a survivor-defined approach that involves working across levels of the ecological model. Findings highlight the importance of individualized, multi-pronged advocacy within DVHF programs that includes attention at the individual (e.g., safety planning), micro (e.g., rebuilding informal supports), and meso (e.g., collaborating with landlords) levels. Additional research on these practices will help to further crystalize the DVHF model and allow for studies that test its effectiveness as an intervention for homeless and unstably housed survivors.

Keywords:

• Domestic violence
• intimate partner violence
• homelessness
• housing first