Examining second-stage shelters: insights into housing instability and tailored support for IPV survivors

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) exposes women and children to a wide range of challenges across housing, employment, social connections, and child well-being and is a public health issue. IPV survivors are at heightened risk of housing insecurity and homelessness. Emergency shelters have historically offered respite and support, but the emergence of second-stage shelters provides longer-term solutions. Despite their significance, there has been a lack of comprehensive research on second-stage shelters. This study focuses on understanding the needs of IPV survivors accessing second-stage shelters, aiming to illuminate unexplored aspects of support. To examine the current published peer-reviewed literature and gray literature on second-stage shelters, a scoping review was conducted.

This scoping review used the method suggested by Arksey & O’Malley (2005) and considered all studies that focused on women who had experienced IPV and were accessing transitional housing/second-stage shelters.

Sixteen articles, mainly from the USA and published between 1985 and 2022, were included in the analysis. The findings highlighted themes of (1) a safe(r) place, with the subtheme of ‘gated’ communities, and (2) programming and services, with the subtheme of does one size fit all? and (3) insider support, with subthemes of paid insider support and peer insider support.

Housing instability was evident, and the need for multiple and individualized tailored options of programming and support along with housing security was identified. Second-stage housing policy and practice implications are addressed which illuminate unexplored aspects of support.