Homelessness compounds the danger of domestic violence

Rachel Scott Indianapolis has an ongoing domestic violence crisis. A proliferation of guns in our city makes this a danger not just to the partners and children subjected to an abuser’s need for power and control, but also to the community at-large as domestic violence spills over into schools, childcares and places of employment. Yearly, IMPD responds to more than 30,000 calls related to domestic violence (DV), and women in Indiana are 20% more likely than the national average to experience DV in their lifetime. Yet these numbers are likely much higher because many people don’t report because they fear potential negative consequences of getting authorities involved. & When leaving an abusive relationship results in homelessness, that trauma is compounded by new dangers. Homelessness is dangerous for anyone, but it’s even more dangerous for women and those being stalked by an abuser seeking to regain control. In Indianapolis, about 500 households per year enter the city’s coordinated system for homelessness because of DV, but fewer than 1 in 5 will be housed within a year. Even fewer will be housed in a program that offers services that address the trauma of domestic violence. Black women are overrepresented in the homeless...