The Effect of Domestic Abuse on Homelessness

“Approximately every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner”. Take a moment to let that sink in. This past October we celebrated the International Day of Non-Violence, an initiative centered around providing the tools and education needed to combat the uptick in violence. While days like this are incredibly important, we must also realize how prevalent domestic violence is in Canada, and its interconnection to homelessness. As mentioned in the previous blog post, the causes of homelessness are multi-faceted, however, research shows that domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness among women, especially those in marginalized communities. It is a common misconception that domestic abuse only concerns violence between two intimate partners, however, in reality, domestic abuse can be defined as the “physical, sexual or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse as well as by other family members, or by a partner’s family members”.

There is no single explanation as to why domestic abuse often leads to homelessness, rather it is a multitude of factors such as the gender pay gap present in our society, inequity of employment opportunities, and the unaffordable housing crisis that are to blame. Some of those experiencing domestic abuse are forced to stay with their abuser because they are financially dependent on them. Others choose to leave but then face a long life of shelters and homelessness. Let us not forget our marginalized communities, especially the indigenous community in Canada. The intergenerational trauma present in this community due to our history of colonization has led to an uptick in domestic abuse among the indigenous population. What we fail to realize is that they do not have the same resources that we have, meaning that if they were to leave their abusive home, they would essentially have nowhere to go. Access to shelters for indigenous communities is incredibly scarce, which is why we must do more as citizens to help with the lack of support.

Organizations and shelters such as the Woodgreen Red Door Family and the Women’s Habitat Shelter provide a secure and safe environment where victims of domestic abuse can take refuge. They also provide rehabilitation and therapy for those suffering from abuse, as the psychological impact of violence is something that cannot be understood. We must realize that domestic abuse and homelessness engage in a cycle. Oftentimes domestic abuse victims leave their violent homes pregnant, meaning that the child will then be born into poverty. As of right now, there is a mass shortage of diapers and female sanitary products at these shelters. Donations such as nail polish, female sanitary products, diapers, bras, books, and art supplies to different domestic abuse shelters help to combat the cycle of domestic abuse and homelessness, and provide those in need with the adequate resources to live.