NHLP Releases Updated State and Local Law Compendium: Housing Rights of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors

Everyone should have a safe and affordable home. That need is especially critical for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, who must have access to safe and stable housing to heal and move forward. State and local governments can play a key role in advancing important housing protections for survivors by enacting laws that protect survivors from policies that discriminate against them and trap them in unsafe housing. 

State and Local Law Compendium: Housing Rights of Domestic Violence Survivors and Sexual Assault Survivors, a compendium of state and local laws enacted as of October 2023, is designed to serve as a starting point for advocates and public officials in search of housing protections that states and localities offer survivors. Since we began publishing this compendium in 2010, we have seen a major increase in state and local jurisdictions enacting a variety of housing protections for survivors. Indeed, well more than half of all states prohibit the eviction of a survivor due to their status and allow survivors to end their leases early when violence or trauma necessitates their moving. These laws are often the result of multi-year efforts by domestic violence, sexual assault, and housing advocacy communities to address obstacles that survivors face in accessing and maintaining housing. We are indebted to your commitment towards change.

This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW22GK03996MUMU, awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.