What are the links between sexual violence and housing? Many survivors of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment have complex housing needs. Experiencing violence can jeopardize a person’s housing, and experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity can increase the risk someone will experience violence. Relocation Someone sexually harassed or assaulted at home by a landlord, intimate partner, family member, or neighbor may need to move for their safety or to heal from the trauma they experienced. Survivors who experience sexual harassment or assault outside of their home may also need to relocate if the person who sexually harassed or assaulted them knows where they live. Of women who experienced sexual assault, 11% reported it happened at their home.1 Almost eight percent of women who experienced intimate partner violence2 and over seven percent of women who experienced rape needed housing services.3 Over 50% of women who needed housing services did not receive them.4 In a study of 100 low-income women living in public housing or participating in the Section 8 voucher program, 16% had experienced sexual harassment or other problematic sexual behavior from a landlord.5 Homelessness Sexual assault, abuse, and harassment can be risk factors for homelessness, and homelessness is a risk factor for experiencing rape or sexual assault. Homelessness is the result of historical and structural oppression, with Black individuals, other people of color, and Indigenous individuals overrepresented in the homeless population.6 However little research has looked at the connections between sexual violence, housing, and race. White - General population 77% - Homeless 48% Black - General population 13% - Homeless 40% Asian - General population 6% - Homeless 1% Multiple races - General population 3% - Homeless 6% American Indian/AlaskaNative - General population 1% - Homeless 3% Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander - General population .2% - Homeless 2% Non-Hispanic/Non-Latino - General population 60% - Homeless 78% Hispanic/Latino - General population 10% - Homeless 22% One in five adults (19%) who are homeless reported being physically or sexually assaulted while homeless.9 Almost 40% of homeless female and 3.3% of homeless male veterans experienced military sexual trauma.10 Twenty-five percent of adults who are homeless experienced child sexual abuse (36% for women vs. 14% for men).9 Experiences in Shelters Homeless shelters may not recognize the need to address trauma related to sexual assault. Seventeen percent of people who identify as transgender were sexually assaulted while staying in a homeless shelter.11 Black and multiracial transgender people reported higher rates of sexual assault at shelters than white transgender people.12 Transgender women were more likely (26%) than transgender men (15%) to report sexual assault at shelters.12 People providing services related to homelessness rarely ask about experiences of sexual assault or rape. In one study, over 70% of homeless women were not asked by homeless shelter staff if they ever experienced violent victimization.13 Young Adults experiencing homelessness Young adults experiencing homelessness typically have a history of being raped or sexual assaulted prior to leaving home and being victimized when on the street. Homeless young adults (ages 18-26) who experienced forced sex while homeless14 Black - 31.5% Mixed - 20.8% White - 19.3% Latinx - 17.8% Other - 10.7% Almost 42% of homeless youth (ages 14-24) have experienced child sexual abuse prior to running away.15 Twenty-three percent of homeless young adults (ages 18-26) had engaged in the sex trade.14 Thirty-eight percent of LGBTQ homeless youth (ages 13-25) were forced to have sex as compared to 15% of non-LGBTQ youth.16 Over 33% of homeless or precariously housed youth (ages 13-25) reported experiencing child sexual abuse prior to being homeless, and 13% reported experiencing sexual assault since becoming homeless.17 For more information on the connections between sexual violence and housing, visit safehousingpartnerships.org. To view the other infographics in this series, visit nsvrc.org/SexualViolenceandHousingInfographics. About the Consortium The Domestic Violence and Housing Technical Assistance Consortium is funded by a partnership between the U.S. Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Consortium supports a technical assistance team of five national organizations: Collaborative Solutions, Inc., National Alliance for Safe Housing, National Network to End Domestic Violence, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, and National Sexual Violence Resource Center. The Consortium provides training, technical assistance, and resource development at the critical intersection of homelessness and domestic violence and sexual assault. Resources 1Stop Street Harassment. (2018). The facts behind the #metoo movement: A national study on sexual harassment and assault. Stop Street Harassment. http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Full-Report-2018- National-Study-on-Sexual-Harassment-and-Assault.pdf 2D’Iverno, A. S., Smith, S. G., Zhang, X., & Chen, J. (2019). The impact of intimate partner violence: A 2015 NISVS research-in-brief. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs/nisvs-impactbrief-508.pdf 3Basile, K. C., Smith, S. G., Chen, J., & Zwald, M. (2020). Chronic diseases, health conditions, and other impacts associated with rape victimization of U.S. women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260519900335 4Breiding, M. J., Chen J., & Black, M. C. (2014). Intimate partner violence in the United States – 2010. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ violenceprevention/pdf/cdc_nisvs_ipv_report_2013_v17_single_a.pdf 5Oliveri, R. C. (2018). Sexual harassment of low-income women in housing: Pilot study results. Missouri Law Review, 83(3), 597–640. University of Missouri School of Law. https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4338&context=mlr 6Olivet, J., Dones, M., Richard, M., Wilkey, C., Yampolskaya, S., Beit-Arie, M., & Joseph, L. (2018). Phase one study findings. Center for Social Innovation. http://center4si.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SPARC-Phase-1-Findings-March-2018.pdf 7U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2019). HUD 2019 continuum of care homeless assistance programs homeless populations and subpopulations. https://files.hudexchange.info/reports/published/CoC_PopSub_NatlTerrDC_2019.pdf 8United States Census Bureau. (2019). Quickfacts: United States [Data set]. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219#PST045219 9Wilder Research. (2016). Homelessness in Minnesota: Findings from the 2015 Minnesota Homeless Study. Wilder Research. http://mnhomeless.org/minnesota- homeless-study/reports-and-fact-sheets/2015/2015-homelessness-in-minnesota-11-16.pdf 10Pavo, J., Turchik, J. A., Hyun, J., Karpenko, J., Saweikis, M., McCutcheon, S., Kane, V., & Kimerling, R. (2013). Military sexual trauma among homeless Veterans. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 28(Suppl. 2), 536-541. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-013-2341-4 11James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, J. L., Keisling, M., Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016). The report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. National Center for Transgender Equality. https://transequality.org/sites/default/files /docs/usts/USTS-Full-Report-Dec17.pdf 12Grant, J. M., Mottet, L. A., Tanis, J., Harrison, J., Herman, J. L., & Keisling, M. (2011). Injustice at every turn: A report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. National Center for Transgender Equality. https://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/resources/NTDS_Report.pdf 13Huey, L., Broll, R., Hryniewicz, D., & Fthenos, G. (2014). “They just asked me why I became homeless:” “Failure to ask” as a barrier to homeless women’s ability to access services post-victimization. Violence and Victims, 29(6), 952–966. https://doi.org/10.1891/0886-6708.VV-D-12-00121 14Santa Maria, D. M., Breeden, K., Drake, S. A., Narendorf, S. C., Barman-Adhikari, A., Petering, R., Hus, H., Shelton, J., Ferguson-Colvin, K., & Bender, K. (2020). Gaps in sexual assault health care among homeless young adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 58(2), 191–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2019.09.023 15Slesnick, N., Zhang, J., & Yilmazer, T. (2018). Employment and other income sources among homeless youth. Journal of Primary Prevention, 39(3), 247-262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-018-0511-1 16Morton, M. H., Samuels, G. M., Dworsky, A., & Patel, S. (2018). Missed opportunities: LGBTQ youth homelessness in America. Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. https://voicesofyouthcount.org/wp-content/uploads/ 2018/05/VoYC-LGBTQ-Brief-Chapin-Hall-2018.pdf 17Wong, C. F., Clark, L. F., & Marlotte, L. (2016). The impact of specific and complex trauma on the mental health of homeless youth. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 31(5), 831-854. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260514556770 This project was supported by Grant No. 2018-TA-AX-K027 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. www.nsvrc.org | www.safehousingpartnerships.org © 2020 National Sexual Violence Resource Center. All Rights Reserved.