Housing options for women leaving domestic violence: the limitations of rental subsidy models

Domestic and family violence is the leading cause of female homelessness, yet social housing provision has declined in Anglophone countries like Australia and housing policy responses favour demand-side subsidies to assist with rental payments. We examine the consequences of ‘choice-based’ approaches in competitive housing markets, applying a theoretical discussion of how the neoliberal subject is supposed to respond to external shocks in an adaptive and resilient manner, and problematise assumptions that subsidies provide ‘choice’. The paper is based on findings from an [Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute-funded research project]. Analysis suggests that private market rental subsidies work well in some areas and not so well in others, depending on local housing market conditions. In some cases, women have returned to violent situations because they perceive no alternative. These findings suggest that the positing of ‘choice’ for women is rhetorical rather than real because it is conditioned by the ability to compete in high-cost private rental markets.