Crown Resorts’ Post

Far too often, survivors of domestic violence need to make an impossible choice: stay in an abusive situation, or flee and risk being unsheltered. New research from UCSF Benioff Homelessness & Housing Initiative shows that 81% of people experiencing homelessness and domestic violence (also called intimiate partner violence) report spending most of their nights in unsheltered settings — outdoors or in other places not meant for habitation, such as cars. California's Domestic Violence Housing First program is proven to help thousands of survivors faced with this impossible choice. But now, California braces to lose more than half of its funding from the federal Victims of Crime Act in 2025 for Housing First and other housing programs for survivors. 17,000 people recieve services through Domestic Violence Housing First in a single year. It's critical that California replaces this federal funding so that these life-saving programs can continue. Thank you California Partnership to End Domestic Violence for your partnership and for the work you are doing around this issue. https://lnkd.in/gvRsjRyM

In South Australia, domestic and family violence is disturbingly common. It is one of the main drivers of homelessness among women, children and men. Domestic and family violence involves abusive and violent behaviour towards a partner, former partner or family member. It extends beyond physical violence, and can involve actions that control, humiliate or scare the other person or people in the household. National statistics can help us understand the gravity of the situation, but alarmingly, many victims of domestic and family violence will never report their experience. With many incidents going unreported, domestic and family violence may be much worse than we think. “One in six women and one in sixteen men in Australia have experienced violence by an intimate partner. (AIHW, 2018)” Domestic and family violence in Australia statistics: Women are more likely to experience abuse at the hands of a partner 1 in 6 women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or former partner, while for men it is 1 in 16. 75% of victims of domestic violence reported the perpetrator as male, while 25% reported the perpetrator as female. Overall, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 20 men have experienced sexual violence. On average, one woman every nine days and one man every month is killed by a current or former partner. One woman every nine days is killed by a current or former partner. Domestic and family violence is a leading cause of homelessness: In 2021-22 domestic violence was the main reason why more than 72,900 people asked for help from specialist homelessness services. 39% (or 108,000) of people seeking help from specialist homelessness services in 2021-22 had experienced domestic and family violence. Source: Mission Australia Launching today!! Domestic Violence Response Service As part of ARCOFYRE®’s commitment to combating domestic violence and supporting survivors, today we launch a safe haven, critical outreach and peer support program for women seeking to leave domestic violence relationships. Introducing: ⚜️Guardian House⚜️ (Location cannot be disclosed for operational security reasons.) Guardian House exists to support women fleeing domestic violence to have a safe place to live in peace and the opportunity to rebuild the their lives. “It’s okay, you are safe now” To refer, click the link below: https://lnkd.in/g26Bf5nG

Excerpt: About 1 in every 3 women, and 1 in 4 men, will experience domestic violence over their lifetime. Since domestic violence can escalate to the point of serious injury or murder, survivors must take action to increase their safety – potentially even fleeing their homes. Of the total homicides that occurred in the U.S. in 2020, 34% of women and 6% of men were murdered by their intimate partners. Research has clearly shown the connection between domestic violence and homelessness. For example, a California study found that domestic violence survivors were four times more likely to experience housing instability compared with those who hadn’t experienced domestic violence. We are two psychologists based in Washington D.C., who study the experiences, struggles and strengths of domestic violence survivors. In Washington, 1 in 4 people experiencing homelessness report a history of domestic violence, with nearly half citing it as the direct reason for their homelessness.

Domestic Violence Housing First is a proven program that keeps thousands of survivors of domestic violence safe and housed. But now, California braces to lose more than half of its funding from the federal Victims of Crime Act in 2025 for Housing First and other housing programs. We know that domesticv violence and homelessness are so connected that we cannot solve one without addressing the other. California needs to replace federal funding being taken from Housing First and other programs in order to continue to support survivors and prevent homelessness. California Partnership to End Domestic Violence https://lnkd.in/g5e4csMk

Family violence is a national crisis. The escalating crisis of violence against women in Australia is demonstrated by the fact that to date this year a woman has been killed every four days. It’s a much talked about statistic, that’s rightfully made headlines. And it’s devastating. What’s equally devastating is the scale of violence that lies behind the deaths of so many women.  In our state alone, police have responded to 94,000 family violence incidents in the past 12-months.  Family and domestic violence is one of the main drivers of homelessness for women and children. Women escaping family violence are often faced with the impossible choice between shelter and abuse. It’s a difficult truth that there is a shortage of appropriate, safe and long-term housing for women and children who are escaping family violence.   That’s why in partnership with Uniting Vic.Tas, the Victorian Government and generous donors we built Viv’s Place, an Australian first apartment building for families escaping family and domestic violence. Viv’s Place now provides 60 women and over 100 children with a safe long-term home, and wraparound supports. As current residents recently told us, “to be able to live in Viv's Place is such a blessing. My son feels safe at our home” and “our lives have changed forever.”  Solutions like Viv’s Place have a big impact, and we need more of these long-term housing solutions to give more women and children a safe, secure and supportive home away from the trauma and danger of family and domestic violence.

This program, Domestic Violence Housing First, is crucial for our organization as it allows us to provide survivors with safe and stable housing options, reducing their risk of homelessness and improving their overall well-being. With the possible reduction of this funding, we would not be able to support as many survivors with financial assistance, leaving them with limited options and potentially putting them in danger. These funding cuts will increase housing instability and homelessness for survivors of domestic violence, forcing many more to make that impossible choice: their safety or the roof over their heads. To keep survivors from that impossible choice, California needs to replace federal funding being taken from Housing First and other programs that help survivors into stable housing. https://lnkd.in/g5e4csMk

The recent Supreme Court ruling upholding a law that criminalizes those experiencing homelessness could severely impact survivors of domestic violence, who already face immense barriers to finding safe housing. Many women across Arizona become homeless as they flee abusive situations, and criminalizing their homelessness only adds to their trauma and creates more obstacles to safety and stability. Survivors need support, not punishment, as they seek support and shelter. A New Leaf is committed to helping survivors of domestic violence find safety and secure housing. This ruling underscores the urgent need for more housing and resources for survivors, so they are not forced into impossible choices between safety and criminalized homelessness. We stand with all survivors and will continue to advocate for compassionate and effective solutions to ensure they have the support they need to rebuild their lives. More must be done to provide safe, stable housing for those escaping abuse. https://lnkd.in/gsz4etRe

IMPORTANCE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND HOMELESSNESS. I read this and thought about the substantial need at the regional level in some communities for aligned violence prevention strategies. While in County government I hired a person to focus on bringing together efforts in behavioral health, public health, homelessness, housing, and public safety to better support prevention activities. Convincing leaders of the importance of this work, or to stay the course when executives change, is often more than half the battle. Whether it is examining community-led models of prevention or thoughtful combining of existing public resources, it's clear that rethinking approaches can have profound impacts on the issue. And, at least in some instances, can also help prevent people from experiencing homelessness.

Watch the full remarks of Dr. Wendy B. Mahoney, NNEDV's Interim President & CEO, at this morning's #HousingNotHandcuffs rally! -- "Good morning, I am Dr. Wendy Mahoney, Interim President & CEO of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. I'm here representing our 56 member coalitions against domestic violence, their nearly 2,000 domestic violence programs, and the millions of survivors they serve every year. Housing is safety for domestic and sexual violence survivors. The way to end abuse and homelessness is simple: it's housing. And yet, housing is one of most out-of-reach resources for survivors. Many survivors are forced to flee their homes to escape dangerous, life-threatening violence. Lack of safe, affordable housing options leave many survivors without a choice but to survive outside. Our 18th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report states that there were 13,335 unmet requests for services on that one day we provided the survey, and 54% were for housing or shelter. That's more than half of the individuals seeking services on a given day stating that they needed housing. So, when survivors are calling to find housing and shelter and they are in danger, there is nowhere to go. We joined seventy-five survivor advocacy and service organizations on an amicus brief, highlighting how policies like Grants Pass harm survivors detrimentally. Why should one have to make a choice to continue to be abused or to live outside? In 2024? We have a problem. Running from an abuser—a person likely stalking you, threatening more violence and even death—only to have to survive outside, continuing to be exposed to additional violence from an abuser, in addition to possible threats and vulnerability of sexual assault. As a result, our local community continues to fail. Now you want to ticket them? Fine them? Arrest them? Once a survivor has a history of these things, they are screened out of housing, we know that. And that's a systemic issue. Additionally, these policies disproportionately impact Black and brown survivors who face racial discrimination and bias in housing. This is unconscionable in our day and age. Housing is safety for survivors. We call on policymakers to invest in affordable housing and survivor-specific housing programs. These urgent policy solutions are well within our grasp. We need to shift from arresting, fining, and ticketing to policies that help end abuse and end homelessness simultaneously. The policies and the solutions are are simple. It's housing. It's housing. It's housing. It's housing." #JohnsonVGrantsPass

Read about the experience of Meath Women's Refuge & Support Services and other Domestic Violence support services in the Journal's coverage of Refuge shortage here. We need robust data to be able to assess the levels of homelessness as a result of Domestic Violence disaggregated in the government's publication of quarterly homelessness figures. How can we understand the scale of the problem and what progress we are making or not making in the absence of data?