DASH is venturing to inspire a housing movement for survivors called Domestic Violence (DV) Informed Safe Housing. DV Informed Safe Housing is a model that can be incorporated into any housing program that provides services to survivors of abuse. It ensures that all survivors of domestic violence are receiving services that address the needs of trauma survivors, such as ongoing safety planning, information on the dynamics of domestic violence and counseling. DASH envisions a community where survivors have a multitude of safe housing options so that regardless of where a survivor turns for help, she will be met by service providers who can provide information and support that directly addresses the impact of abuse.

Through the provision of technical assistance and training, DASH promotes DV-Informed responses in the following ways:

1. Building safe housing capacity in the District by working with community-based organizations. DASH provides training and technical assistance to community agencies and survivor service programs to increase the availability of safe, affordable housing options for survivors. Through these partnerships and community outreach, DASH is able to reach a diverse range of individuals and families who typically fall between the service cracks in the system. DASH assists community-based agencies to build capacity to provide housing programs for domestic violence victims by:

• Providing ongoing consultation and review of developing projects;
• Generating resource guides to identify and secure financing, developers and architects, and other supports to create housing for survivors;
• Matching both nonprofit and for-profit community developers and architects with prospective housing programs;
• Assisting individuals and groups to develop proposals to secure grant awards and other funding for service-enriched housing for survivors.

2. Building the capacity of housing and homeless programs for individuals to be safe-housing programs for survivors. A significant number of people in the homeless system have experienced domestic violence. Thus, DASH supports housing and homeless programs serving individuals to incorporate policies and procedures that are informed by the specific safety needs of survivors through offering information, training, quarterly caseworker summits and one-on-one technical assistance on the following topics:

• Safety planning with survivors;
• Strategies for creating economic empowerment for survivors;
• Providing linkages and referrals with resources, including support groups and legal services;
• Responding to safe housing needs;
• Providing trauma informed advocacy and counseling.

For requests, please email TTA@dashdc.org or call DASH at (202) 462-3274.