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OVW Grantees

NHLP provides free technical assistance and training to Office on Violence against Women (OVW) grantees. NHLP has provided numerous trainings and extensive technical assistance on the housing provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Fair Housing Act, and state law housing protections for survivors of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault.

Some of the services we offer OVW grantees include:

• Technical assistance via phone or email regarding survivors' housing protections
• Web-based and conference-call trainings on common housing issues that survivors face
• Information and materials, such as fact sheets, advocacy materials- and training curricula

This section contains materials NHLP has prepared for OVW grantees, including information packets, training curricula, and newsletters.

* Translation services provided by Transpanish.

Domestic Violence and Housing Manual

NHLP is pleased to announce the publication of "Maintaining Safe and Stable Housing for Domestic Violence Survivors: A Manual for Attorneys and Advocates."

The Manual focuses on the rights of survivors who are facing loss of housing, who need to improve the safety of their housing, or who need to relocate. Some of the topics addressed include changing the locks; breaking the lease; defending against evictions and subsidy terminations; seeking remedies for housing discrimination; reasonable accommodations for survivors with disabilities; and the housing protections of the Violence Against Women Act.

The Appendices to the Manual contain a number of sample advocacy documents, including letters, pleadings, and housing policies.

The Manual is available here. Access to the Appendices is limited to legal services programs and Office on Violence against Women grantees. These programs should contact Karlo Ng at kng@nhlp.org to obtain the Appendices.


Materials

Housing Authority Plan Toolkit

This toolkit outlines steps advocates can take to improve local public housing agency policies that affect survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Domestic Violence and Fair Housing Act Toolkit

This toolkit provides advocates with an overview of the Fair Housing Act and strategies that advocates have used to bring fair housing claims on behalf of domestic violence survivors.

Assisting Survivors of Domestic Violence in Applying for Housing

This Manual provides a comprehensive review of domestic violence survivors’ rights in applying for housing. It includes information on the subsidized housing application process, common barriers to housing that survivors face, and strategies for challenging denials of housing.

VAWA Housing Toolkit

This toolkit is designed to provide advocates with an overview of VAWA’s housing provisions and includes:

  • Recent legal developments
  • Sample advocacy materials, including pleadings and demand letters
  • A statutory compendium of VAWA’s housing provisions
  • Administrative guidance, such as VAWA notices and forms published by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Newsletters

Each month, NHLP publishes a newsletter on a variety of current housing issues that affect survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Past issues of the newsletter are available here.

State Law Compendium: Housing Rights of Domestic Violence Survivors

This Compendium compiles state and local laws that affect domestic violence survivors’ housing rights. It is designed to serve as a starting point for advocates seeking to conduct research on the housing protections that their state laws offer for domestic violence survivors.

Brochure: Sexual Harassment and Housing

This brochure contains basic information on the rights and options of tenants who have experienced sexual harassment in rental housing.

Trainings and Webinars

Materials and recordings from NHLP’s past trainings for Legal Assistance for Victims grantees are available here.

Upcoming Webinar: