The Effect of Housing Access on Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence from the Family Options Study

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects individuals globally: one-third of women worldwide and 41% of women in the US report experiencing some form of violence from their intimate partners (WHO, 2021; Leemis et al., 2022). Yet, we know little about the effect of living situations on intimate partner violence and its underlying mechanisms. This paper uses a novel panel dataset of US homeless families to study the effect of housing access on the incidence of IPV. We find that housing access reduces IPV incidence by 5.6 percentage points, a 62% reduction relative to the control group mean. This effect is most precisely estimated for a housing program that offers a potentially indefinite subsidy and greater individual choice over living options, akin to a housing voucher. We identify higher rates of living in independent housing and reductions in financial stress as key mechanisms behind the decrease in IPV, while labor market improvements are not supported and partnership effects are more nuanced. We also find suggestive evidence that housing access affects children's outcomes through a reduction in IPV. Our paper has important policy implications for how housing access could reduce IPV incidence and contribute to improved gender equality.