Thursday, October 29, 2026
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to recognize survivors, honor their courage, and raise awareness about the resources people need to live free from abuse.
It’s also an opportunity to talk about a connection that often goes overlooked: domestic violence is a leading pathway to homelessness.
For someone experiencing abuse, home may be the most dangerous place to be. Leaving can mean giving up housing, financial security, familiar surroundings, and sometimes the support of family and friends. A survivor may have to choose between remaining in an unsafe situation and leaving without a safe place to go.
For parents, the decision can be even more complicated. They may be trying to protect their children while worrying about where they will sleep, how they will afford rent, whether they can keep their jobs, and how they will help their children feel safe again.
These are not simple choices. And no one should have to choose between personal safety and a place to live.
How Domestic Violence Can Lead to Homelessness
Abuse can affect nearly every aspect of a person’s ability to maintain stable housing. An abusive partner may control money, prevent someone from working, or threaten them with harm if they leave. Survivors may also face the loss of shared housing, limited financial resources, and difficulty finding an affordable place to live.
Even when someone finds the courage to leave, the housing crisis may only be beginning.
In Greater Cincinnati, where affordable housing can be difficult to find, the cost of starting over can feel insurmountable. A survivor may need emergency shelter immediately, followed by assistance securing an apartment, paying deposits, finding employment, and rebuilding financial independence.
Without those supports, someone escaping violence may end up staying temporarily with friends or relatives, moving from place to place, sleeping in a car, or entering an emergency homeless shelter.
Leaving an abusive relationship should be a path to safety–not the beginning of homelessness.
What Does HUD Consider “Homeless”?
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines homelessness in several ways. Its definition includes people who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, people living in emergency shelters, and certain people at imminent risk of losing their housing.
Importantly, HUD’s definition also specifically recognizes people fleeing domestic violence.
This recognition matters. It allows people fleeing domestic violence to utilize the supports they need. When home is unsafe and there is nowhere else to go, the need for housing and protection is urgent.
Read the federal HUD homelessness definition.
Help Is Available in Greater Cincinnati
Survivors do not have to navigate this crisis alone. Local organizations provide confidential crisis support, safety planning, emergency shelter, advocacy, and help finding stable housing.
The YWCA provides a 24-hour domestic violence hotline, emergency shelter, safety planning, case management, and housing support for survivors and their children.
Women Helping Women offers 24-hour crisis intervention, advocacy, safety planning, and referrals for survivors of domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence in Southwest Ohio.
Central Access Point (CAP) Helpline
For families in Hamilton County who need emergency shelter or help navigating homeless services, CAP can connect them with the local shelter system. Call: 513-381-7233
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911. If it is unsafe to use a phone or computer, consider reaching out from a safer device when possible.
Everyone deserves a safe place to call home.
Let’s raise awareness of the connection between domestic violence and homelessness–and work toward a community where no one has to remain in danger because they have nowhere else to go.
When we help people find safety and stability, we strengthen families and our entire community
As always, thank you for caring about our neighbors and being a partner in the fight to end homelessness.
The post Domestic Violence and Homelessness: The Connection appeared first on Strategies to End Homelessness.