Domestic violence and housing instability: providers' perceptions of the effect of social services on women seeking formal assistance

Abstract

The goal of this study was to examine the effects of different ecological layers on housing outcomes for women who access either homeless or domestic violence service agencies. An ecological framework was used to explore factors that might affect housing outcomes for clients in both types of agencies. The focus was primarily on the individual and organizational levels, with some exploration of social and community factors. Structured interviews were conducted with a geographically diverse sample of homeless and domestic violence providers in the United States who served adult women. Interviews included both closed-and open-ended questions yielding quantitative and qualitative results. Few significant differences between the clients of homeless agencies and the clients of domestic violence agencies were identified. Logistic regressions were used to explore factors that predicted whether female clients obtained permanent housing when they exited the program. Clients were more likely to find permanent housing when they had children. Also, clients who were unemployed at discharge were more likely to find permanent housing. Organizational-level factors that predicted successful housing outcomes included providing more services/referrals to women, having rules for program participation, and agencies working well with other social service providers in their area. This study has implications for agency policies and procedures as it may be necessary for agencies to address gaps in housing services for some groups of women (e.g., single women without children). Future research is needed to explore the relationships found in the current study in more detail. Specifically, with recent policy changes prohibiting domestic violence agencies from mandating that women participate in services in order to receive housing assistance, it will be important to evaluate the effect of this change on housing outcomes for women, especially in light of the current study's findings. In conclusion, this study suggests the importance of considering multiple levels of the ecological model to increase our understanding of what factors contribute to successful housing outcomes for women who use domestic violence and homeless services in the United States.