Scattered-site rental assistance. Real homes, real leases.
Rainbow Services’ Community Housing program (also known as DV Housing First) provides scattered-site rental assistance, tenancy support, and housing-search advocacy for survivors moving toward permanent housing. Survivors hold their own leases in apartments throughout Los Angeles County. Rainbow stays alongside as a navigator, not a landlord.
A lease in your name. Rainbow as your navigator.
Community Housing is not a residential program with a Rainbow address. It is a model where survivors lease their own apartments in the community, with rental assistance, deposit support where needed, and an advocate who stays alongside through the tenancy. The lease belongs to the survivor from day one. Rainbow’s role is to help with the search, connect to landlords, navigate tenant rights, and provide ongoing case management through the stability period.
From referral to lease to stability.
- 01REFERRAL & ELIGIBILITY
Survivors are referred into Community Housing through Rainbow's Case Management team, either exiting Rainbow House or Villa Paloma, or entering from an external housing pathway. Eligibility and matching are handled by advocates based on household composition, stability needs, and geographic preferences.
- 02HOUSING SEARCH
Rainbow's housing advocates assist survivors in identifying appropriate scattered-site rental units. The team maintains relationships with landlords and property managers across Los Angeles County who understand DV housing needs. Survivors have final say on every unit.
- 03MOVE-IN SUPPORT
Rainbow provides time-limited rental assistance and, where needed, security deposit support. Move-in costs (furniture, household basics, utility deposits) can often be covered through flexible funds where government contracts do not reach.
- 04TENANCY NAVIGATION
After move-in, advocates remain available for tenancy questions, landlord communication support, and connection to tenant rights resources. The goal is a stable, independent lease, not continued reliance on Rainbow.
- 05ONGOING CASE MANAGEMENT
Community Housing survivors continue to receive voluntary case management as long as they want it, for legal matters, employment, school enrollment for children, or any new challenge that arises. Survivors set the pace and scope.
Survivors ready to move toward permanent housing.
Community Housing serves survivors who are ready to move into the community but need bridge support to do so safely and stably. Common entry paths include survivors exiting Rainbow House emergency shelter or Villa Paloma transitional housing, and survivors entering directly from external referral. There is no requirement to have been in Rainbow’s residential programs first. Survivors can enter Community Housing directly through Rainbow’s Case Management team.
Families are welcome. Children stay with the parent or guardian survivor. Pets are accommodated where tenancy allows. All entry is voluntary. No survivor is required to engage Community Housing as a condition of other Rainbow services.
Exiting Rainbow House, exiting Villa Paloma, or direct external referral through Case Management.
Children welcome at all ages. Pets accommodated where tenancy allows.
No prior Rainbow residential program required. All DV survivors in the service area.
Not required as a condition of any other Rainbow service.
84% government. 16% private.
Community Housing is anchored by HUD Continuum of Care and LAHSA Rapid Rehousing contracts. Private giving covers move-in costs, utility deposits, household setup, and time-sensitive needs that don’t fit a single contract line item.