When Home Isn’t Safe: The Overlooked Link Between Domestic Violence and Homelessness

by Manal Alkindi, Jun 7 2025 

When I used to think about homelessness, I pictured tents on sidewalks, sleeping bags under bridges, or people asking for change at intersections. I never really thought about how someone could become homeless just by trying to save their own life. That changed when I learned more about the connection between domestic violence and homelessness, and how often people—especially women and children—become unhoused not because they are poor or lazy, but because they are trying to escape abuse.

It's a reality that’s deeply underrecognized: domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness for women. According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), 57% of homeless women report domestic violence as the immediate cause of their homelessness [1]. That number is staggering—and heartbreaking.

Leaving Isn’t Easy

It’s easy to ask, “Why didn’t they just leave?” But the truth is, leaving can be one of the most dangerous and difficult decisions a survivor ever makes. Abusers often control every part of their victim’s life—money, transportation, phone access, and even relationships with friends and family. Leaving often means starting from zero, with no income, no safe place to go, and children to protect.

Many survivors leave their homes and end up sleeping in their cars, staying at emergency shelters, or bouncing between friends’ couches. Some shelters only offer short-term stays, and transitional housing programs can have long waitlists or strict entry requirements.

A 2023 report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) found that over 38,000 people in a single night were experiencing homelessness as survivors of domestic violence [2]. These aren’t just statistics—they’re people who made the hardest choice to walk away, only to find the system wasn’t ready to catch them.

We Need to Do Better

What hurts most is knowing that so much of this could be prevented. Survivors need more than just a shelter bed—they need stability, trauma-informed care, and affordable long-term housing. Programs like Housing First, which provide housing without preconditions, have been shown to improve outcomes for survivors by giving them a foundation to rebuild safely [3].

There’s also the emotional toll. Many survivors carry deep trauma, guilt, and fear—not just from the abuse itself, but from the judgment they receive after leaving. Society often blames survivors for not leaving sooner, without acknowledging how broken and dangerous the system is once they do.

1. National Network to End Domestic Violence. “Domestic Violence & Homelessness”

2. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 2023 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (Part 1)

3. National Alliance to End Homelessness. “Ending Homelessness for Survivors of Domestic Violence”