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Abstract
Survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) often must contend with the loss of stable housing when attempting to escape an abusive relationship. IPV survivors with disabilities face additional barriers, as they may struggle to find housing that is accessible and meets their disability-related needs. This study explores housing-related, financial, and demographic factors potentially affecting the long-term housing prospects of IPV survivors (n = 456) with and without disabilities residing in an emergency domestic violence shelter. Records covering a 6-year service period were assessed. Results indicate possible financial, vocational, and educational barriers that could impede IPV survivors from securing stable, permanent housing. Domestic violence shelters can help survivors by addressing these barriers in their operating policies and procedures. Suggestions are provided for giving material and operational support to residents, enabling them to pursue economic independence, extending the length of time allowable for shelter stays, and advocating for accessible housing options for survivors with disabilities.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Vanessa Salazar, Kelly Spina, Norberto Taveras, and Yuliya Leonova of Barrier Free Living, Inc.’s Freedom House for their assistance in collecting data for this study.
Notes
1 IPV includes physical, sexual, and/or psychological harm by a current or former intimate partner (Breiding et al., Citation2015).
2 We use the term “domestic violence shelter” to describe emergency shelters for IPV survivors as this is the commonly used term for this type of housing. We use “IPV” throughout the manuscript to describe abuse perpetrated by intimate partners, as this term encompasses the broad range of abuse experienced by survivors.
3 A survivor may seek a housing transfer if they need to move to a unit in a different building or neighborhood in order to escape abuse/the abuser.
4 An employment safety transfer may be sought if a survivor’s place of employment is no longer safe due to abuse and transfer to an alternate work site is a possibility.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Michelle Ballan
Michelle Ballan, PhD, is a professor and Associate Dean for Research in the School of Social Welfare and a professor of family, population and preventive medicine at Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University. She is also the Stony Brook University LEND Center and Program Director. Her practice and research aim to ameliorate barriers impacting services and treatment for individuals with disabilities and their families in the areas of intimate partner violence, medical education, and reproductive justice.
Molly Freyer
Molly Freyer, PhD, is a medical social worker at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. She has an extensive research background, focusing on multiple dimensions of intimate partner violence among women with disabilities. She is interested in advancing knowledge regarding the causes and consequences of violence against women with disabilities, as well as responses to the problem.
Meghan Romanelli
Meghan Romanelli, PhD, is an assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work. Dr. Romanelli’s work focuses on health and mental health disparities among LGBTQ communities, primarily on how disparities develop through the mechanism of forgone care or restricted engagement in care. Because many LGBTQ people cannot access formal treatment settings due to social-structural barriers, Dr. Romanelli is also interested in the strengths and informal care networks that LGBTQ communities harness to attain or maintain wellness.