Toward Safety: Understanding Intimate Partner Violence and Homelessness

In California, more than 181,000 people experience homelessness on a given night. Intimate partner violence (IPV), defined as violence or abuse by a current or former intimate partner, increases risk of homelessness for survivors, particularly those with limited financial resources. To better understand the experiences of survivors of IPV who are currently experiencing homelessness, the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative analyzed data related to IPV in the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH)—the largest representative study of homelessness since the mid-1990s. The mixed-methods study included data about participants’ experiences of violence across the life course, in the six months prior to homelessness, and during their current episode of homelessness. This report presents these findings to advance evidence-based solutions for preventing and responding to homelessness among survivors of IPV.