Domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness for women and children. The Domestic Violence Housing First (DVHF) approach focuses on getting survivors of domestic violence into stable housing as quickly as possible and then providing the necessary support as they rebuild their lives. The approach’s success relies on survivor-driven, trauma-informed, mobile advocacy, flexible financial assistance, and community engagement.
Domestic Violence Housing First 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 and research project is working to bring together domestic violence, housing, and homelessness providers, and advance a cutting edge model for intervention.
Organizations participating in the demonstration project are:
- Implementing the DVHF philosophy and approach
- Exploring regionalization across domestic violence programs
- Working to improve the responses of the housing and homelessness field to survivors
Goals of the demonstration project include:
- 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.
