Understanding the Intersections

Interpersonal violence is a leading cause of homelessness for women and children, and the need for safe and affordable housing is one of the most pressing concerns for survivors of violence and abuse. Many survivors face unique barriers to accessing shelter and affordable housing due to the power and control dynamics involved in these types of abuse and the economic and trauma impacts that result. These barriers are often exacerbated for those most marginalized in our society and with the least access to resources, including many survivors of color, Native Americans, immigrants, those living in poverty and geographically isolated, survivors with disabilities, and others. In addition, systemic factors such as institutional discrimination and the lack of affordable housing in communities create further challenges for many survivors. At the same time, housing programs can provide critical services for survivors and are often a key component in helping survivors find safety and stability.

= web resource    = downloadable file

Survivors must have meaningful access to housing programs, including physical access to buildings and spaces that are designed for a variety of individuals and families, access to culturally-responsive and trauma-informed services and supports, and the opportunity to express themselves in the language through which they feel most powerful and whole. As advocates, service providers, and communities work to design and develop housing programs, we must do so with principles of equity at the center of our work. Only then will those programs be truly responsive to the unique and diverse needs of all survivors, and particularly those from historically marginalized communities.

Conducting Listening Sessions with Survivors of Gender-Based Violence

2020
Gabriela Lopez-Zeron

Listening sessions are an excellent technique to capture participants’ views and suggestions about an issue. There are several well-established principles regarding how to conduct effective listening sessions; however, when working with survivors of gender-based violence, it is critical to integrate a trauma-informed perspective to every aspect of the process. The aim of this brief document is to provide some key considerations and guidelines when conducting listening sessions with survivors. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of considerations, rather, it highlights some of the most prominent issues that may arise when eliciting survivors’ perceptions, experiences, and suggestions in a group setting. 

Using Interpreters when Conducting Research with Survivors of Gender-based Violence

2020
Gabriela Lopez-Zeron
Lau Romero
M. Isidora Bilbao-Nieva

A key component of social justice and racial equity is language justice. These tools offer guidance and concrete suggestions to researchers working with diverse, multilingual and multicultural survivors. In this document you will find a) a practical definition of the concept of ‘interpretation’; b) a brief explanation of the importance of interpretation when working with survivors of gender-based violence; c) key considerations when working with interpreters prior, during, and after an interview; and d) a vignette with a real example of the earlier concepts, followed by discussion questions.

Negotiating Meaning in a Second Language

2020
Lau Romero
Gabriela Lopez-Zeron
M. Isidora Bilbao-Nieva

A key component of social justice and racial equity is language justice. These tools offer guidance and concrete suggestions to researchers working with diverse, multilingual and multicultural survivors. This brief document provides a) an explanation of the concept of “negotiation of meaning”, b) the relevance of this concept when conducting research with survivors of gender-based violence; c) a list of helpful tips to keep in mind before, during, and after the data collection process and d) a vignette illustrating the importance of negotiation of meaning in interviews with survivors.

Linguistic Justice in Research with Survivors of Gender-based Violence During a Crisis

2020
Gabriela Lopez-Zeron
Lau Romero
M. Isidora Bilbao-Nieva

A key component of social justice and racial equity is language justice. These tools offer guidance and concrete suggestions to researchers working with diverse, multilingual and multicultural survivors. In this document, you will find a) an explanation of the term ‘crisis’, b) a brief overview of linguistic justice principles during a time of crisis, and c) a list of general considerations for research studies with multilingual and multicultural survivors of gender-based violence in a crisis.

Integrating a Linguistic Justice Approach When Creating a Research Budget

2020
Gabriela Lopez-Zeron
Lau Romero
M. Isidora Bilbao-Nieva

A key component of social justice and racial equity is language justice. These tools offer guidance and concrete suggestions to researchers working with diverse, multilingual and multicultural survivors. This brief document a) outlines the importance of language access, b) highlights the differences between language access and linguistic justice and c) offers general considerations when creating a budget for a study that will include survivors of gender-based violence that may not identify English as their preferred language.

Considerations for Translation when Conducting Research with Survivors of Gender-based Violence

2020
Gabriela Lopez-Zeron
Lau Romero
M. Isidora Bilbao-Nieva

A key component of social justice and racial equity is language justice. These tools offer guidance and concrete suggestions to researchers working with diverse, multilingual and multicultural survivors. This document provides a) a practical definition of what translation typically refers to; b) a brief overview of the key issues to consider in multilingual and multicultural gender-based violence research studies; c) clarifications of some of the common misconceptions regarding translation of research materials, and d) an example followed by discussion questions.

TOOLKIT: Making Domestic Violence Services Accessible to Individuals with Limited English Proficiency

National Latin@ Network
Casa de Esperanza

Creative and dedicated sexual and domestic violence programs and advocates have always found ways to improve our work toward safety, healing, and justice for those harmed by violence, and to end and prevent violence at home and in our communities. If we invest in a comprehensive, proactive approach to providing assistance for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP), all survivors will have greater access to critical services and greater success in addressing the violence in their lives. This toolkit provides resources and support to build language access as a core service for survivors with LEP.

Federal Housing Rights of Survivors with Limited English Proficiency: An Information Packet

2015
Karlo Ng
Renee Williams
National Housing Law Project

The National Housing Law Project created this information packet for programs serving limited English proficient (LEP) survivors of domestic or sexual violence, dating violence, or stalking who are seeking to access or maintain federally-assisted housing. This packet gives an overview of the federal housing rights of LEP individuals and discusses how these protections apply to survivors.

Developing Culturally-Relevant Responses to Domestic Abuse: Asha Family Services, Inc.

2003
Antonia Vann

This report features the work of Asha Family Services, Inc., (Asha), a domestic abuse program in Wisconsin specifically designed to serve the needs of African Americans. Asha is governed by people of color committed to providing effective, comprehensive intervention services and prevention efforts to persons and families affected by violence in their homes. Guided by the notion that the most effective methods for increasing the safety and self-determination of women of color are grounded in the social, political and economic realities of their community, Asha has been in the national forefront of supporting and promoting culturally-responsive strategies.

SPARC: Supporting Partnerships for Anti-Racist Communities - Phase One Study Findings

2018
Center for Social Innovation

People of color are dramatically more likely than White people to experience homelessness in the United States. In September 2016, the Center for Social Innovation launched SPARC (Supporting Partnerships for Anti-Racist Communities) to understand and respond to racial inequities in homelessness. This report presents phase one finding from an ambitious mixed-methods (quantitative and qualitative) study documenting high rates of homeless among people of color and beginning to map their pathways into and barriers to exit from homelessness.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Housing Search: Final Report

2018
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

This research adds new insights about the housing search process that renters undertake, and how this process differs by race and ethnicity. By combining robust survey data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), the American Housing Survey (AHS), and the Chicago Area Study (CAS), and original data collection from a convenience sample of 135 recent movers and 351 current searchers from the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, the study provides the most comprehensive picture to date about the rental housing search process.

Continuum of Care Racial Equity Analysis Tool

2019
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Each community has unique circumstances impacting homeless populations. The CoC Analysis Tool draws on Point-In-Time (PIT) Count and American Community Survey data to facilitate analysis of racial disparities among people experiencing homelessness. Such an analysis is a critical first step in identifying and changing racial and ethnic bias in our systems and services.

See also: Continuum of Care Racial Equity Analysis Tool Overview

LGBT Homelessness

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

This section of the HUD Exchange establishes a central clearinghouse of resources for the LGBT community, including information on and links to HUD's Equal Access Rule and program guidance, a toolkit on supporting transgender-inclusive projects, information on HUD's initiative for the community-wide prevention of LGBT youth homelessness, and links to LGBTQ resources and research reports.

Equal Access for Transgender People: Supporting Inclusive Housing and Shelters

David Canavan
Fran Ledger
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Individuals and families seeking services from HUD funded homeless projects have nowhere else to go. Too many LGBT youth and adults meet this standard and have nowhere to turn other than a HUD funded project. Acknowledging their need for assistance and seeking help is often its own struggle for those who have sacrificed much simply to recognize themselves. Transgender individuals in particular are impacted by violence and discrimination in ways that both contribute to their homelessness and keep them from accessing necessary shelter and services. HUD funds welcoming and inclusive housing programs open to all eligible individuals; the Equal Access Rule and follow-up guidance ensure that local projects know how to implement and enforce this requirement. These training materials provide CoCs and projects with the framework to create welcoming and inclusive projects for transgender and gender non-conforming people.

Open Minds Open Doors: Transforming Domestic Violence Programs to Include LGBTQ Survivors

2011
The Network/La Red

Despite the prevalence of LGBTQ partner abuse, there are only a handful of programs in the country specifically serving LGBTQ survivors. The need for more inclusive services for LGBTQ survivors is great in all areas, but shelter and housing are especially wanting. Many LGBTQ victims become homeless due to the abuse, and there are significant gaps in the critical continuum of services, including adequate shelter and transitional living programs for LGBTQ survivors. This guide is intended to assist programs to increase their capacity to serve LGBTQ survivors.

Self Assessment Tool for Ensuring Access for People with Disabilities

2004
Disability Rights Wisconsin

This tool is to be used by sexual assault and domestic violence programs to review their programs and services to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access and an equal opportunity to participate. Accessibility includes removing not only physical barriers to participation, but also cultural and attitudinal barriers. Many of the suggestions about policies and communication are best practices, and some are required by law. This tool is designed to be used with an accompanying Accessibility Guide. Links to both the Guide and the Tool can be found below.

Measuring Capacity to Serve Survivors with Disabilities

2015
Vera Institute of Justice Center on Victimization and Safety

Using performance indicators, this resource relies on Vera’s Center on Victimization and Safety’s years of experience at the intersection of violence and disability to help practitioners—from disability organizations, domestic violence programs, rape crisis centers, and dual agencies—measure their organizations’ capacity to serve survivors with disabilities against field standards. The indicators help practitioners track progress towards specific goals and refine their capacity-building efforts to better meet those goals over time. They also draw upon data and resources that organizations typically have access to and provide step-by-step information on implementation, including how to collect, analyze, and interpret their data.

Housing Rights of Survivors with Disabilities

2013
National Housing Law Project

Survivors who have disabilities may face barriers to admission or continued occupancy due to their disability. To allow a survivor with a disability the equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling, the survivor may seek a reasonable accommodation, which is a change in a rule, policy or practice. These webinar slides and accompanying fact sheets address common housing issues that survivors with disabilities face, housing rights and protections available for disabled survivors and how laws regarding reasonable accommodation may be used to advocate for disabled survivors housing needs.