Victimizing the Victim: Evicting Domestic Violence Victims from Public Housing Based on the Zero-Tolerance Policy

Authors

Tara M. Vrettos, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

Abstract

The note argues that zero-tolerance eviction policies in public housing, authorized under federal law, unjustly penalize domestic violence victims by evicting them for crimes committed by others, including their abusers. These policies, upheld by the Supreme Court in Rucker, disproportionately harm low-income women, pushing them into homelessness and perpetuating cycles of abuse. The note advocates for a nuanced, case-specific approach to balance public safety and tenant rights, drawing parallels to child custody cases where victims are similarly blamed. It calls for federal reform to protect domestic violence survivors and end their victimization by the legal system.

Disciplines

Civil Rights and Discrimination | Food and Drug Law | Housing Law | Law | Law and Gender

Recommended Citation

Tara M. Vrettos, Victimizing the Victim: Evicting Domestic Violence Victims from Public Housing Based on the Zero-Tolerance Policy, 9 Cardozo J. Equal Rts. & Soc. Just. 97 (2002).
Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cardozoersj/vol9/iss1/6