Domestic Violence Coordinated Housing Access Point (DVCHAP)
Part of our Housing and Homelessness work.
A HUD-mandated coordinated entry system that coordinates access into DV housing resources for DV survivors in King County. This is a parallel system to the mainstream King County CE system.
About DVCHAP
- Developed, implemented, and maintained by the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence since 2020.
- Only includes 14 King County domestic violence rapid rehousing, transitional housing, and rental assistance programs between 8 agencies. Please note that DVCHAP does NOT include shelter programs, housing authority vouchers, and non-federally funded housing resources.
- Uses an assessment tool developed and maintained by domestic violence providers in King County that continues to meet in an advisory capacity on a monthly basis.
- Assessments are submitted via secure submissions link and database is maintained by the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence.
Eligibility
Survivors of domestic violence in need of DV-specific housing resources are eligible to submit a housing assessment through a trained gender-based violence advocate.
Process
Access and Assessment
How do you access DV housing resources through DVCHAP?
- Contact the DVHopeline at 206.737.0242 OR a gender-based violence advocate at a community-based program to complete a housing assessment.
- Assessments can only be completed and submitted by advocates who have received the annual assessment training.
- Assessments are only received when there is an opening posted rather than received on a rolling basis.
How do you know when there is an opening?
Openings are posted on the New Day Database AND via email that goes out to a master list maintained by the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence. Postings usually remain open for an average of 14 business days.
What kind of information does the assessment ask for and what will happen to the information collected?
The assessment asks for information pertaining to the survivor’s current situation, housing needs, housing history, and barriers to housing. The information collected is submitted through a secure portal to the agency with the housing resources only with the survivor’s Consent for Release of Confidential Information.
Can survivors access DVCHAP if they are have already completed a CE assessment via mainstream King County CEA?
Yes. The two systems are completely separate so folks can complete assessments for both systems at the same time.
Can the same assessment be used for another opening if the survivor’s information has not changed.
Yes. Please make sure that survivors know what type of resources they are submitting assessments to and that they are making informed decisions about how to move forward.
Prioritization
How are households chosen for housing placement?
Households are prioritized based by assessing how they have been disproportionately impacted by domestic violence. DV housing resource providers and DVCHAP participants determine:
- How can we make this the best resource for the household?
- What are the barriers that DV advocates are uniquely situated to support with?
- What are other options that the group could problem-solve and offer?
Placement
How long will it take to hear back about whether or not a household was chosen for a housing placement?
The placement process can be a long process and will typically be three weeks from start (resource opening) to finish (resource closing).
What types of housing resources are available for possible referral?
There are 14 King County domestic violence rapid rehousing, transitional housing, and joint programs between 8 agencies.
The DVCHAP system does NOT include shelter programs, housing authority vouchers, and non-federally funded housing resources.
Where can I find more information about the DV housing resources in King County?
If you are a gender-based violence advocate within the Coalition’s membership or a New Day partner organization, you can always log-in to the New Day Database to find out the most detailed information.
If you are outside of the gender-based violence community, see the list of participating programs here.
DVCHAP Guiding Principles
A process that will be survivor-centered, focusing on what works best for survivors rather than agencies and institutions while also incorporating survivor and community feedback for continuous improvement
Reduce the burden placed on survivors who are often reaching out to multiple providers seeking housing
Create a low-barrier, transparent path to housing options that demonstrates a clear commitment to increasing racial equity and addressing disproportionality within the domestic violence housing system
Provide clear and consistent messaging to survivors, providers and larger community about structure, purpose, benefits and limitations of the system
Training& Resources for King County Gender-Based Violence Housing Providers
Please note that these resources are specifically targeted for gender-based violence community-based advocates specific to DVCHAP.
Domestic Violence Coordinated Housing Access Point – Housing Assessment This housing assessment is used within the DVCHAP system to determine housing placement as DV housing becomes available. This assessment is […]
Report providing background on the coordinated housing assessment and placement for survivors.
These are currently the participating domestic violence agencies and programs within the Domestic Violence Coordinated Housing Access Point (DVCHAP) system as of September 2024. This list may change depending on […]