Housing and Violence
Having a stable, secure, and uncrowded home, whether owned or rented, helps protect against violence. Housing design and density also matter. Some forms of collective violence [] (the act of groups who create policies or conditions to harm workers) can make it harder for some people to access stable, high-quality housing. Housing costs have risen dramatically over the past 40 years—especially during spurts of economic growth or low housing supply. Rising housing prices increase the cost of renting as well as ownership. This is because owners pass the higher costs onto renters. Like the rest of the United States, Massachusetts is in a housing crisis due to not enough housing. A lack of individual or group housing can:
- Push housing costs higher.
- Affect quality and affordability at various income levels.
- Reduce services for people with trauma, mental illness, substance use, or other health conditions (in the case of not enough group housing).
- Decrease accessibility to people with disabilities.
People who are unhoused often live in a variety of changing conditions. For example:
- Living on the streets
- Sleeping in shelters at night
- Living in cars
- “Couch surfing”[]
- Staying in emergency housing []
People who are unhoused have a higher risk of sexual, physical, and other forms of violence. People who live in unsafe housing or experience unstable housing are also at higher risk of violence. This is true for people of all ages. The connection between housing and violence focuses on four main parts:
- Violence in housing policies and practices
- Effects of housing on violence
- Housing as a protective factor against violence
- Special Topic: COVID-19 and domestic violence
[VH40] Collective violence is committed by large groups of people. It includes social, political, and economic violence.
[VH41] Couch surfing is staying in a series of other people’s homes, often on the couch, floor, etc.
[VH42] Emergency housing is for individuals and families facing a crisis after a natural disaster, fleeing intimate partner or domestic violence, eviction, or other major event.