Survivors of domestic violence have long been among the hidden homeless in the United States. Efforts to find safety in confidential locations has resulted in limited visibility for this population in the burgeoning numbers of homeless people. Because domestic violence survivors are affected by many of the same social forces that affect anyone struggling to find and keep housing, the domestic violence movement and the homeless movement have followed parallel paths. Federal cuts in subsidized housing have greatly limited access to affordable housing for low-income people, among them millions of domestic violence survivors and their children struggling with housing instability and compromised safety.
This paper outlines the parallel paths of these movements and highlights where they intersect.