This research brief examines the impact of the Domestic Violence Housing First model on the lives of survivors of domestic violence, and their children, using quasi-experimental, longitudinal, and mixed methods.
This document summarizes the assessment of impact of the Domestic Violence Housing First (DVHF) model on the lives of domestic violence survivors and their children. The DVHF model’s two pillars are mobile advocacy, which entails meeting domestic violence (DV) survivors in places that are safe and convenient, and flexible financial assistance, which entails receiving funds that support their needs as survivors rebuild their lives. The quasi-experimental, longitudinal, mixed methods evaluation was designed to rigorously examine the DVHF model. The study used information from 406 DV survivors gathered through interviews, surveys of survivor service provider advocates, and agency records. Survivor interviews included assessments of outcomes in each area of interest, including housing, safety, and other aspects of well-being. Key findings showed that unstably housed domestic violence survivors who received the DVHF model reported a number of small, positive changes at six and 12 months after seeking services, compared to DV survivors who received services as usual; the DVHF demonstration met its primary goal of increasing housing stability in recipients; survivors who received DVHF reported improvements in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and safety-related empowerment, improvements in financial strain, reductions in physical, emotional, and economic abuse, and increases in their children’s pro-social behaviors.