Regional Housing Legal Services (RHLS) and the National Alliance for Safe Housing (NASH) have collaborated on a resource for advocates of survivors of domestic violence who are searching for housing. The website VAWAHome.COM exists to help survivors and advocates learn about and understand their rights relating to housing.
Safe housing remains one of the biggest challenges facing people who are fleeing abuse. Under the Violence Against Women (VAWA) revision of 2013, certain protections were provided to persons who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking and who are living in federally subsidized housing. VAWA is critical in ensuring that survivors are not denied housing or lose their housing because of the violence committed against them.
Understanding what federally subsidized housing is, where to find it and how to access the protections that it affords survivors can be complicated. VAWAHome.com will help survivors and their advocates to understand and access this information by explaining those protections on a state-by-state basis.
The housing protections for survivors are part of the laws that govern developments that are built using Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). These housing developments must comply with VAWA requirements. Each state has different practices in place, making the implementation of survivors’ rights look very different across the country.
VAWAHome contains the result of research into the implementation VAWA Housing Rights for survivors in LIHTC housing on a state-by-state basis. The website also helps survivors and their advocates understand how they can advocate with the state-level agencies that administer LIHTC in order to strengthen protections in their own state.
Visit VAWAHome.com to learn more about housing rights and advocacy opportunities. The site contains practical information about how to find and keep LIHTC housing, key HUD forms, and more!