Safe Homes Act

The Safe Homes Act protects the health and safety of survivors of domestic and sexual violence who live in rental and subsidized housing. This law allows tenants and members of their household who are survivors of violence to:

• change the locks on an emergency basis to keep the person who attacked them out of their home (for tenants with written leases only) and
• leave their housing and end their lease early to protect their physical safety and emotional wellbeing (for tenants with written or oral leases).

Fact Sheet
Housing Rights Under VAWA Fact Sheet (English)

Safe Homes Act Brochures
English
Arabic
Farsi
Korean
Polish
Russian
Spanish
Urdu
Vietnamese

Legal Tools

• Sample Complaint

• Sample Affirmative Defense for Victims of Sexual Violence

• Sample Affirmative Defense for Credible Imminent Threat of Harm

• Sample Notice to End the Lease Early: Sexual Violence Occurred on the Premises–No Credible Imminent Threat of Future Violence

• Sample Notice to End the Lease Early Due to Credible Imminent Threat of Domestic or Sexual Violence

• Sample Notice for Lock Change: For ALL Oral Leases or Written Leases When the Perpetrator IS a Leaseholder

• Sample Notice for Lock Change: For ALL Oral Leases or Written Leases When the Perpetrator IS a Leaseholder

• Sample Notice for Lock Change: For Written Leases when the Perpetrator is NOT a Leaseholder