From Shelter to Safe Housing: Reframing our Movement s Response to Survivors Housing Needs

From Shelter to Safe Housing: Reframing our Movement s Response to Survivors Housing Needs

Objectives Discuss what it means to respond to survivors housing needs within the context of our movement today Discuss the range of strategies DASH and others are using to increase safe housing access for survivors across the housing spectrum Share successes and challenges programs and communities are experiencing, and offer an avenue for ongoing resources and support through NASH (DASH s technical assistance and training program)

Presentation Outline 1. Safe Housing Discuss our movement s response to survivors housing needs 2. About DASH Background, mission and values 3. DASH s approach safe housing: Home: Increasing safe housing access Means: Providing the means for survivors to be self-determining Safety: Developing trauma-informed, voluntary programs that center survivor sovereignty and confidentiality 4. DASH Model for implementing safe housing 5. NASH DASH s national TA and training project

Safe Housing

Inception of DASH Incidence of domestic violence on the rise Affordable housing crisis in Washington, D.C. Survivors being denied access to safe housing Need for a new response to survivor s housing needs in 2006

DASH Mission DASH is an innovator in providing access to safe housing and services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their families as they rebuild their lives on their own terms. We envision a culture where safe housing is a human right shared by everyone.

HOME. MEANS. SAFETY.

Core Belief #1: Housing is a Human Right DASH believes that all survivors of abuse, regardless of their circumstances, should have access to safe housing. This includes survivors of: intimate partner violence sexual assault sex trafficking same-sex DV transgender survivors stalking homelessness As well as survivors with: physical and mental disabilities chemical addictions mental illnesses undocumented citizens differing family configurations Low Barrier Access PRACTICE BELIEF

HOME. MEANS. SAFETY.

Home. Increasing safe housing access for survivors across the housing spectrum Building partnerships with housing/homeless providers Training landlords and homeless shelter staff Working with the DC Housing Authority Co-locating DASH staff at coordinated entry intake locations Initiating the DV Housing Taskforce to coordinate housing advocacy for survivors Not requiring referrals, documentation or other hoops to jump through in order for survivors to access DASH services and resources

Core Belief #2: Survivors Have The Right to be Self Determining DASH believes: Survivors know their situations best Survivors are the best ones, with support and resources, to determine what options are right for them Survivors voices must be central to the process of helping them find safe housing options, including providing them with the means to avoid going to shelter altogether Survivor-Driven Advocacy PRACTICE BELIEF

HOME. MEANS. SAFETY.

Means. Providing survivors with the resources to avoid homelessness and be self-determining Supporting survivors agency and safety planning, through our Housing Resource Center, for all different housing options, including remaining in their own homes Creating the Survivor Resilience Fund (a flexible funding program)-- grants to help survivors avoid homelessness and attain stable, safe housing Helping survivors to maintain housing in their communities by advocating for their housing rights under local and federal law

Core Belief #3: Domestic and Sexual Violence is a Traumatic Experience DASH believes experiencing DV/SA: Psychologically changes a person s belief in themselves Hinders a person s ability to make decisions for themselves, organize and mobilize to accomplish goals Decreases a person s sense of safety and intense fear DASH also believes: Survivors are far more likely to make meaningful change when program engagement is voluntary The critical work of program staff (especially Advocates) is to establish trusting relationships with survivors built on mutual respect, transparency and honesty Trauma-Informed & Voluntary Services PRACTICE BELIEF

HOME. MEANS. SAFETY.

Safety. Trauma Informed, Voluntary Support Creating safe housing programs that are traumainformed, low-barrier, voluntary and confidential 43-unit apartment-style emergency-to-transitional housing A scattered site safe transitional-to-permanent housing program Helping other homeless/housing providers to create safe housing for survivors Investing in the coaching, training and supervision for our advocate (direct service) staff to rely less on rigid rules and more on our core values to make decisions with survivors

model SOVEREIGNTY INTEGRITY EMPOWERMENT (RE-) CENTERING COMPASSION ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERSHIPS

National Alliance for Safe Housing (NASH) Focus on improving collaborations between Domestic and Sexual Violence and Homeless/Housing Programs Project of DASH, in partnership with: o Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence o DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence o Kris Billhardt, Domestic Violence and Housing expert Develop national needs assessment on Domestic/ Sexual Violence and Housing/Homelessness With NRCDV, develop online clearinghouse of best practice information

National Alliance for Safe Housing (NASH) Provide online and site-based training and technical assistance at intersection of DV/SA and Homelessness Convene Safe Housing Advisory Committee: National Network to End Domestic Violence Collaborative Solutions Inc. National Resource Center on Domestic Violence National Domestic Violence Hotline ACLU Women s Project MSU Research Consortium on Gender- Based Violence National Alliance to End Homelessness National Organization of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty Northwest Network National LGBTQ Domestic Violence Capacity Building Learning Center Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence National Indigenous Women s Resource Center National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities at Casa de Esperanza Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community National Housing Law Project

Domestic Violence & Housing Technical Assistance Consortium The Consortium is comprised of three federal agencies: Department of Justice (OVW and Office for Victims of Crime) Department of Housing and Urban Development Department of Health and Human Services (Family Violence Prevention and Services) and four organizations: NASH, a project of the District Alliance for Safe Housing National Network to End Domestic Violence National Resource Center for Domestic Violence Collaborative Solutions, Inc.

Domestic Violence & Housing Technical Assistance Consortium The Consortium works with providers nationwide to improve policies, identify promising practices and strengthen collaborations, in order to enhance the safety and stability of survivors of domestic violence and their children.

National Safe Housing Needs Assessment NASH, in collaboration with the Consortium members developed a first of its kind needs assessment simultaneously reaching the domestic and sexual violence field, as well as the homeless and housing field. Through the assessment we seek to gather information on a wide range of topics, including: How both fields coordinate to provide safety and access to survivors within the homeless system Innovative models programs are creating to promote long-term housing stability for survivors Specific barriers preventing collaboration across these fields

Thank You! Suzanne Marcus Director of Training and TA (202)462-3274 x116 smarcus@dashdc.org www.dashdc.org