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There is increasing pressure on the
various service systems to help victims and survivors of
domestic violence in more specific and efficient
ways--pressure originating from the growing racial and
ethnic diversity, economic hardships and instability, and
funding difficulties experienced throughout Washington State
and King County. Current service delivery needs for victims include:
- Access to transitional housing, more shelters and
beds, and affordable post-shelter housing options
- Legal assistance and representation
- Culturally competent, culturally specific and
linguistically appropriate services, and
- Services for children who witness domestic violence
(see Domestic Violence and Children section).
Service Statistics
Housing
- Nationally, more than 5,000 requests for services
went unmet due to lack of resources. More than 50% of
these requests were for some form of housing (either
emergency shelter or transitional housing).
- According to data collected by WA State Senator Patty
Murray’s office, WA State shelters are able to
accommodate less than one-fourth the women and children
who need shelter due to domestic violence each year.
Source: Office Of U.S. Senator
Patty Murray, 2007,
http://murray.senate.gov/dv/dv-statistics.cfm
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The 2007 King County One Night Count
of homelessness found that 1,098 people who access
shelter services experienced violence or abuse within
the past year. Just over half of these people (589) were
adults (almost all of whom were women); 509 were
children.
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The City of Seattle, Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault
Prevention Division, provided information on the
relationship between domestic violence and homelessness in
King County.
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On any given night, there are 137 beds
that are identified as available for victims of domestic
violence in King County.
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In 2005, well over 15,000 individual
requests for shelter from victims of domestic violence
and their children in the Seattle-King County area were
turned away.
Some of this data might be duplicated across
programs due to individuals trying to access services from
different domestic violence shelter programs; nonetheless,
the data represents desperate attempts by victims of
domestic violence to find a safe place to go.
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In 2005, Seattle domestic violence
shelter programs reported that they turned away 12
people for every one bed filled.
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For South and East King County
programs, the turn away rate was 18 to 1.
The lack of affordable housing options
after domestic violence emergency shelter may trap women
into a choice of continuing homeless or returning to the
abusive partner” (p. 3). It is not uncommon for a
transitional housing provider to interview as many as 20
families for one unit.
The normal length of stay in domestic
violence shelters has been 30 days. Recently, the City of
Seattle extended this policy to allow for ninety-day stays.
According to the report, there are still challenges “related
to the need for battered women to focus on complex legal
issues and health concerns while looking for employment and
permanent housing” (p. 4). It is clear that any policy or
service delivery for housing related to domestic violence
must also incorporate structural support for other areas
affecting safety, well-being, and independence for these
women and families.
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Legal Services
Many victims of domestic violence,
whether willingly or not, find themselves involved in the
civil court or criminal justice systems. Considering the
extent that domestic violence affects low-income women,
legal assistance is a primary service need for these
survivors. Various organizations in King County provide pro
bono legal services for low-income families and individuals
who are victims of domestic violence. In 2004, due to
capacity and funding limitations, some of these programs
were not able to accept referrals for the whole year. During
the first part of 2005, there was a significant increase in
the number of referrals, appointments, and attendees at
self-help workshops put on by these law agencies.
Culturally Competent Services
There are many cultural and population specific domestic
violence organizations in King County. These organizations
provide culturally appropriate interventions and programming
for specific populations, including LGBT survivors of abuse,
South Asian women, the Latino community, Asian Pacific
Islander women and families, the deaf and hard of hearing
community, Jewish individuals and families, refugees, urban
Indians, and African American women.
All these programs offer appropriate linguistic services,
religious accommodations, and community outreach and
education. Additionally, many of them make available
consultation and education training for mainstream service
providers like law enforcement agencies and legal advocates
within the court system.
Increasingly, there is an emphasis on coordinated
community responses to domestic violence. This type of
intervention brings together various services and
organizations in order to provide a comprehensive and
culturally appropriate approach to a particular situation.
Strengthening these networks, especially between law
enforcement agencies and culturally-specific community
organizations, would improve service delivery to
marginalized communities.
Read more about the issues
in providing services to victims of domestic violence
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Return to Domestic Violence Page
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