In movies and television, stories about domestic violence survivors often show them escaping an abusive home to start fresh under a new name. While these stories can emphasize the careful planning that goes into leaving an abusive partner, they often fail to highlight the layered challenges that people experiencing domestic violence face while trying to establish safety—especially when children, custody arrangements and the courts are involved.

Housing has a central role in protecting survivors from future harm. However, barriers to securing appropriate and affordable housing often put the safety needs of survivors with children at odds with their legal obligations to keep their children near the other parent. Understanding the limited housing and legal landscape that survivors face, and the flexibility needed to support decisions that impact safety, can go a long way to protect survivors and their children.