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“TRANSITIONAL HOUSING” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E159 on Feb. 14, 2002.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
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HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, February 13, 2002
Mr. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Housing Assistance Act of 2002. This bill has broad bipartisan support with over 100 cosponsors. It authorizes
$50 million for transitional housing assistance for those escaping the terror of violence in their homes and in their lives. At this time when we are devoting extensive resources to ending terror around the world, let us not forget to address the terror of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking that plagues women's lives.
In October 2000, Congress passed the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act and re-authorized the Violence Against Women's Act (VAWA). As part of VAWA, Congress agreed to support $25 million for transitional housing assistance. Though this amount would have served too few, the money was never even appropriated to this program.
The rates of violence against women are astounding. According to the Department of Justice, 960,000 women annually report having been abused by their husband or boyfriend. The actual number is significantly higher due to difficulties in reporting. According to estimates by the McAuley Institute, $50 million in funding for transitional housing would provide assistance to at least 5,400 families. Though this is not enough, we must start somewhere.
Violence against women is an epidemic that affects not only women, but their children and families as well. Every year, thousands of women flee abusive situations with few financial resources and often nowhere to go. Lack of affordable housing and long waiting lists for assisted housing mean that many women and their children are forced to choose between abuse at home or life on the streets. Furthermore, shelters are frequently filled to capacity and must turn away battered women and their children. The connection between continued abuse and lack of available housing is overwhelming. A Ford Foundation study found that 50% of homeless women and children were fleeing abuse.
Furthermore, almost 50 percent of the women who receive Temporary Assistance to Needy Families funds cite domestic violence as a factor in the need for assistance. The problem of high need is compounded by the lack of adequate emergency shelter options. The overall number of emergency shelter beds for homeless people is estimated to have decreased by an average of 3 percent in 1997 while requests for shelter increased on the average by 3 percent. Emergency shelters struggle to meet the increased need for services with about 32 percent of the requests for shelter by homeless families going unmet. In fact 88 percent of cities reported having to turn away homeless families from emergency shelters due to inadequate resources for services.
Transitional housing assistance will not only provide immediate safety to women and children but it will also help women gain control over their lives and get back on their feet. There are critical services available at transitional housing shelters such as counseling, job training, and child care that these women need to help them along the road to economic self-sufficiency.
It is now essential that we not only pass this legislation but also appropriate $50 million for transitional housing assistance and provide this critically needed safety net for women seeking to escape abuse. We must be supportive of individuals who are escaping violence and seeking to better their lives. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation and work for its passage.
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