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Letter to the Editor - June 4, 2008Domestic violence is one of the main causes of poverty and homelessness for women and children. Voices for Illinois Children and Heartland Alliance’s Illinois Poverty Summit studied the proposed Illinois budget for FY 2009 and have identified challenges to women’s economic security. Their studies have found some disturbing facts: female-headed households in Illinois have 2.6 times the poverty rate of families overall and one in five divorced women live in poverty. In some regions of the country, about one-third of homeless women are homeless because of domestic violence. Almost half of women receiving funds from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) reported domestic violence as a reason for needing assistance. At least one in every four women will be a victim of domestic violence. This means that at least 1,584,740 women in Illinois will be victims sometime in their lives. A victim of domestic violence usually leaves her abuser multiple times before permanently leaving. She and her children will often experience multiple periods of homelessness. One study showed that 46% of homeless women stayed in the abusive relationship because they had no place to go. Victims of domestic violence need access to safe and affordable housing in order to live healthy live free of violence. Domestic violence funding in the state of Illinois desperately needs to be increased by $17 million. Since funding for domestic violence has not kept up with the increase in cost of living, over $11 million of this money will help restore services to what they used to be 5 years ago; in addition, the need for services for victims/survivors of domestic violence and their children is far greater than the resources to provide these services the remainder of the money will be spent to expand current services.
In order to continue providing vital services to victims of domestic violence, we must have the support of not only the state and federal governments, but also the community, law enforcement, schools, businesses, and individuals. Please join with A Safe Place, the only comprehensive domestic violence agency in Lake County, in encouraging congress, the general assembly, and all of our friends and neighbors to reduce the poverty level in our communities, by voting to raise the funding for domestic violence.
Sincerely, Phyllis A. DeMott
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Everyone has the right to a violence-free, safe and healthy life. Copyright ©2001-2009 A Safe Place. All rights reserved. |
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