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Homelessness and Domestic Violence: Examining Patterns of Shelter Use and Barriers to Permanent Housing Author: Kristie A. Thomas Dissertation School: University of Pennsylvania Pages: 194 Publication Date: May 2011 Availability: Access Number: 10883 Abstract: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a risk factor for homelessness among women. Homeless IPV victims often use domestic violence (DV) and homeless shelters for safety and temporary housing. Knowledge about their patterns of shelter use both within and across shelter systems is limited. Guided by the tenets of bounded rationality (March & Simon, 1958) and feminist theory (Reinharz, 1992), the investigation aimed to determine patterns of shelter use among IPV victims who use DV and homeless shelters, assess differences among IPV victims according to shelter type, and determine if individual-level and shelter-use variables are associated with shelter users' risk of a repeat stay. A secondary analysis was conducted of longitudinal administrative shelter records from all homeless and DV shelters in the city of Columbus, Ohio, between January 2003 and June 2006. Bivariate statistics and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to analyze the data. A total of 1,114 IPV victims had at least one stay in a DV, family, or single-woman shelter. Most DV shelter users had one shelter stay compared to 42 percent and 39 percent for users of family or single-woman shelters. Those who returned often used the same type of shelter; crosssystem use occurred among a considerable minority of all shelter users. Shelter-using IPV victims, as a group, were 34 years old, more often Black, without income, and in shelter for approximately 1 week. Bivariate comparisons indicated that individual-level and shelter-use characteristics differed when shelter users were examined according to the type of shelter they used. Cox regression revealed that having two or more children and receiving income from a source other than employment were associated with a decreased risk of shelter return. Findings suggest that homeless IPV victims use all available emergency shelters, travel between systems, are a heterogeneous group, and face considerable barriers. By increasing the capacity and the housing-related assistance of DV shelters, more IPV victims could be served within the system developed specifically for them. In addition, ongoing federal commitment in the form of financial support to individuals and housing providers can help achieve the structural efforts necessary to prevent homelessness among IPV victims. |
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