Many survivors of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment have needs related to housing. “Home” may not be a safe place for some survivors if the person who abused them is a household member, landlord, neighbor, or knows where they live. Others may need to find new housing to help heal from their experiences. Additionally, many people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity are at greater risk for experiencing sexual violence.
It is important that those providing sexual assault-related services and those providing housing services understand these connections and ensure that survivors’ needs around housing are addressed. That’s why NSVRC released a new list of online resources about the connections between sexual violence and housing, as well as specific resources for sexual assault advocates, advocates in dual and muli-service agencies, and housing and homelessness service providers to help address the housing needs of sexual assault survivors. To supplement the online resource collection, we have also created a one-page list of select resources from our online collection for advocates and others to use to educate on the connections between housing and sexual violence.
In addition to these new resources, check out our other housing resources:
What Are the Links Between Sexual Violence and Housing? This infographic series highlights statistics on the connections between sexual violence, housing, and homelessness.
Housing, Homelessness, and Sexual Violence: Annotated Bibliography This annotated bibliography highlights research articles between 2010 and 2020 on the relationship between sexual violence, housing, and homelessness. Current research suggests that people who have experienced homelessness are at an increased risk for experiencing sexual violence, and that sexual violence is a risk factor for homelessness and housing instability.
New resources:
Sexual Violence & Housing Resource Collection This resource list provides general information on sexual violence and housing, advocacy tools for sexual assault programs, information on public policy, resources for housing and homeless service provides, and more.
Sexual Violence & Housing Resource List Provides a pdf version of select resources from the full online collection listed above.
For more information on the connections between sexual violence and housing, visit www.safehousingpartnerships.org.