Housing Rights of Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence,
and Stalking
Sandra Park, JD, Staff Attorney, ACLU Women's Rights Project
This session will cover the housing rights of survivors of domestic violence, stalking, and dating violence and engage participants in a discussion about how to advocate for these rights. Victims of violence often stay with or return to their batterers because they cannot access other housing options. The session will review legislation affecting the housing rights of victims, including the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Fair Housing Act. The session will also identify housing policies that go beyond VAWA to ensure that survivors are able to obtain and maintain housing and safety. Participants will apply the lessons from the session to situations faced by survivors of domestic violence and discuss the available housing rights. In addition, participants will review model housing policies and legislation to identify the best avenues for improving protection for these victims. This session is geared toward attorneys with basic knowledge of crime victims’ rights.
Sandra S. Park is a Staff Attorney in the ACLU Women’s Rights Project. Ms. Park focuses on WRP’s efforts to end violence against women through a combination of litigation, policy advocacy, and public education, with a special emphasis on combating housing discrimination faced by domestic violence survivors, advocating for law enforcement accountability, and ensuring battered immigrants’ access to courts and government services. Prior to joining the ACLU, Ms. Park worked in the Domestic Violence Project of The Legal Aid Society in New York City as a Skadden Fellow. She is a graduate of the NYU School of Law and clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the Southern District of New York.
This conference is supported by Grant No. 2008-DD-BX-K001 awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
