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Housing Assistance

Photo of a toddler standing on their toes looking out a set of glass doors with their hands up on the glass.

Most local domestic violence advocacy programs have emergency shelters. Some also have other housing assistance, like homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing, and housing stability support. We do not provide direct advocacy or housing assistance. Please contact your local program to find out what kind of assistance might be available.

Federal and state laws protect survivors and their families from wrongful eviction or being denied housing because of violence committed against them. Learn about your rights!

For tenants

In Washington State, the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act provides rights for both landlords and tenants. The law includes certain protections for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking who are renting. Learn more here.

Additional resources:

For survivors living in public housing

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provides legal protections for survivors of domestic violence living in low-income federal public housing or Section 8 (voucher or project-based programs). Tenants cannot be denied housing, evicted, or terminated from participating in housing because they are a victim of domestic violence, or due to an incident of domestic violence. Learn more about the VAWA protections for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. 

Additional resources:

  • The Rights of Domestic Violence Survivors in Public and Subsidized Housing – information from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Women’s Rights Project on the protections available to survivors of abuse.
  • National Housing Law Project – information and training materials on the housing provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Fair Housing Act, and state law housing protections for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
  • Washington Law Help – legal information and resources for public and subsidized housing tenants in Washington State.

For more information about housing issues, please visit our Domestic Violence Housing First page and the collection of resources on our Economic Justice Project page.