Research on Housing for Victims of Violence

A place of their own – permanent housing for victims of violence

Every year, thousands of women and children in Sweden need to stay in sheltered accommodation, the majority of whom are women and children who have fled an abusive husband. After staying in sheltered accommodation, it is often difficult to access permanent housing. Women and children exposed to violence may remain in shelter for a long time, be moved between temporary accommodation or have to return to the perpetrator. Few municipalities use the option of moving the perpetrator in cases where victims want to remain in their homes.

The project will take the form of an interdisciplinary three-year research project divided into three sub-studies. The project will contribute knowledge about how women who have had to leave their homes due to violence experience the path to permanent housing, and the importance of different housing solutions for the victim's place identity, health and quality of life. The project will contribute to the development of municipal guidelines, working methods and forms of collaboration to strengthen the access of victims of violence to permanent housing.

The first sub-study will be carried out in the form of an action research project in Gävleborg County to develop the municipalities' work on housing solutions for victims of violence in terms of guidelines, working methods and collaboration. Within the project, interviews will be conducted regarding how professionals reason about problems and solutions. Observations at meetings, workshops and other activities will be made to identify success factors and obstacles in the work. Through legal analysis, we will examine how local guidelines relate to current law and how it is applied in the practical management. In addition, we will examine how the child rights perspective is taken into account.

The second and third sub-studies focus on women who have had to leave their homes due to domestic violence. These studies will examine how women experience the path to permanent housing and the importance they give to different aspects of authority processes, the housing situation and the housing services they have received. Relationships between different aspects of the victim's housing situation and place identity, well-being, health and fulfillment of basic psychological needs will also be examined.

Principal researcher: Sara Skoog Waller, National Centre for Knowledge on Men's Violence Against Women

Participating researchers: Ola Nordhall, Candice Ståhl and Igor Knez, all at the University of Gävle

Project group at Gävleborg County Administrative Board: Klara Westerlund and Erika Eklund, Gävleborg County Administrative Board, Emelie Printz, Gävle Municipality