Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act in 2006. This law protects people who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. This protection applies to any person who received or receives housing assistance from the Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) or who applied to get assistance from us.
The new changes to the law now protect people in the following situations:
- they applied to THA for assistance or for housing and THA denied them;
- they used to live in THA housing and THA evicted them;
- they used to receive rental assistance or other services from THA and THA terminated them.
If THA did any of these things to you in the past, please consider whether it happened because you were a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence or stalking. If you are a current THA tenant or client, and any of these things happen to you in the future, please consider whether it happened because you were a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence or stalking. If so, we would like to hear from you.
The new law may give you another chance to get assistance with housing if you are a past THA tenant or client. The new law also requires us to send you formal notice of your rights. We attach two forms. They explain the new law in more detail. We are ready to review your case.
Please contact us if you would like us to do that. You can return paperwork in person to our office, or mail to the following address:
Tacoma Housing Authority
ATTN: Cindy Norton
902 S L Street
Tacoma, WA 98405