Domestic Violence Housing First (DVHF) is a strategic initiative of the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, with support from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Building off the success of the five year pilot project, the demonstration project launched in the year 2015 and ran through 2019. It brought together domestic violence, housing, and homelessness providers, and advanced a cutting edge model for intervention. The demonstration project included two regions, King County and South Central, each consisting of four agencies.
Organizations that participated in the demonstration project:
- Implemented the DVHF philosophy and approach
- Explored regionalization across domestic violence programs
- Worked to improve the responses of the housing and homelessness field to survivors
Goals of the demonstration project included:
- Improved health and well-being for survivors of domestic violence and their children
- Housing systems that better meet the needs of survivors
- Increased evidence that documents the relationship between domestic violence advocacy, housing stability, and survivors’ health and well-being.
Data from the demonstration project:
- What We Have Learned: Domestic Violence Housing First
- LifeWire Domestic Violence Rapid Re-Housing Project Evaluation
- Spotlight on InterIm CDA: Safe and Stable Housing for Immigrant and Refugee DV Survivors
Domestic Violence Housing First Demonstration Project Overview