Tight Rental Market Forces Domestic Violence Survivors to Stay in Shelters Longer

The Struggle for Safe Housing in Maine

Johnnie Walker, director of housing and shelter services at Partners for Peace, has spent 25 years working at a domestic violence resource center serving Penobscot and Piscataquis counties. When she first began, the shelter was truly emergency housing, with survivors staying for less than 30 days before moving into safe, affordable, and permanent housing.

Over the years, the length of stays at shelters has increased significantly. Today, it is common for survivors to remain in shelters for between six months and a year. This shift reflects broader challenges facing domestic violence survivors in Maine, where access to stable housing is increasingly difficult.

Maine currently has only 162 beds across 11 domestic violence shelters. According to a survey by the Maine State Housing Authority, this number is far from sufficient to meet the demand. In fiscal year 2024, shelters were able to house just 14 percent of those who qualified for a bed. Some regional centers had even lower admission rates. For example, Partners for Peace admitted only around 6 percent of those seeking shelter, while Safe Voices reported similar numbers. Through These Doors in Cumberland County managed to provide beds for 40 out of 358 people who sought shelter last year, resulting in an 11 percent admittance rate.

The shortage of beds has worsened in recent years due to the tight housing market. Survivors struggling to find permanent housing often end up staying longer in shelters. A combination of factors—such as a shortage of housing units, rising rent costs, and limitations on federal low-income housing assistance programs like Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers—has made it harder for survivors to transition out of shelters.

Grace Kendall, director of development and engagement at Safe Voices, noted that the average stay at her organization has nearly doubled, from three or four months to about eight months. Krissy Beaton, a residential services coordinator at the Hope and Justice Project in Aroostook County, reported an average stay of six months, up from just six weeks previously. Many other centers have also seen extended stays.

Francine Garland Stark, executive director of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, explained that the risk of homelessness or long-term shelter stays can feel like a worse alternative than remaining in an abusive situation. Resource centers work with those they cannot accommodate to find alternative solutions, such as helping with security deposits, first-month rent, or transportation to family members.

Safety planning is another critical tool used by advocates. It involves helping survivors navigate how to stay as safe as possible in their current living situations. This may include setting up safety cameras, identifying trusted contacts, or creating a plan for emergencies.

The Housing Crisis in Maine

Longer shelter stays are a direct result of Maine’s ongoing housing crisis. The state has faced a shortage of homes for decades, exacerbated by a population boom during the pandemic. Between 2020 and 2022, over 20,000 people moved to Maine, increasing demand for housing. Median home prices rose by more than 50 percent from 2020 to 2024, while wages grew by less than 33 percent. A 2025 report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that someone earning minimum wage would need to work 61 hours per week to afford a one-bedroom rental in Maine.

The pandemic also led to a surge in domestic violence calls. A 2020 report from the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence showed a 24 percent increase in hotline calls from 2019 to 2020. Advocates spent more time assisting survivors, indicating a growing need for support. While some expected the numbers to decline after quarantine ended, they continued to rise.

Rising rents have further strained the system. Federal rental assistance programs, such as Section 8 vouchers, which once helped move survivors out of shelters, have become less effective. The average cost per unit covered by these vouchers has risen sharply, reaching $992 by the end of May 2024—nearly double what it was a decade ago.

Housing authorities in Maine have struggled to keep up with demand. Four of the past six years saw authorities exceed their budgets, leading to pauses in voucher issuance. In 2024, several major housing authorities, including Portland and Westbrook, stopped issuing new vouchers until enough were returned. This pause left many domestic violence resource centers unable to place survivors into affordable housing.

Scott Thistle, communications director for MaineHousing, noted that voucher issuance resumed in April 2025 but at a reduced rate. MaineHousing issues one-third of all Section 8 vouchers in the state, with the rest managed by local authorities.

A Growing Crisis

With full shelters, limited vouchers, and a tight housing market, many survivors face difficult choices. Grace Kendall of Safe Voices said that some women are choosing to stay in abusive relationships rather than risk homelessness. “Where are they going to go?” she asked.

The lack of affordable housing continues to create a cycle of instability for survivors, leaving them trapped between two unsafe options. As the housing crisis persists, so too does the challenge of providing safe, sustainable housing for those fleeing domestic violence.