Homelessness
Domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness for women and their children. When victims flee domestic violence, they are often forced to leave their homes and have no where to turn. One study showed that 46% of homeless women reported that they had previously stayed in abusive relationships because they had nowhere to go. Since abusive partners use strategies to gain and maintain power and control, a partner may isolate a victim from support networks. Therefore, a woman who has experienced domestic violence will often have little to no access to money or resources, and may have very few friends or family to rely on if she flees a violent situation.
In 2005, Congress found almost 150 “documented eviction cases in the previous year where the tenant was evicted because of the domestic violence crimes committed against her,” and nearly 100 people were “denied housing because of their status as victims of domestic violence”.
The Schuylkill Hope Center’s Safe House offers a space safe for victims of domestic violence and their children to turn to when they are actively fleeing a violent situation. A multi-state study indicated that if emergency shelters like ours did not exist, the consequences for victims would be dire, including homelessness, serious losses including children, continued abuse, and death.