Unlocking the Door to Safety and Stability: Housing Barriers for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Housing has been identified as critical for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) to achieve long-term stability, but both individual- and system-level barriers hinder its obtainment. The purpose of this research study was to assess the challenges to service access and service delivery for survivors in Utah. In-depth, semistructured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 102 participants, including 43 survivors and 59 service providers. Data analysis consisted of line-by-line coding, identifying themes, coding categories, and developing matrices to uncover relationships between themes and categories. Overwhelmingly, participants communicated an immense need for emergency shelter upon exit from an abusive relationship, yet reported limited shelter space. Service providers reported that scarce funding coupled with grantor-imposed expectations impede their ability to serve all survivors in need. When turned away from shelter, survivors resorted to staying in a motel, car, homeless shelter, or even returning to the perpetrator. Barriers to obtaining permanent housing included unaffordability, landlord discrimination, and insufficient documentation. Indigenous and immigrant survivors encountered amplified barriers to housing stability. Despite the prominence of Housing First in Utah, survivors were unable to access much needed housing resources. Housing First programs can and should be tailored to meet the unique housing needs of survivors of IPV. Therefore, Housing First eligibility requirements should be adjusted, and a specific number of placements should be reserved for survivors and their children. IPV-related trauma must be understood as multifaceted, and services for survivors should simultaneously target this trauma while meeting basic needs. Future research should examine interventions such as rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing on survivors' safety and stability in the long-term.