In Washington, D.C., there are just 48 beds, in two confidential shelters, for women and children fleeing domestic violence. And in any given month these shelters may turn away 350 families due to lack of space. Oftentimes these women simply return to their abusive relationships, according to Women Empowered Against Violence (WEAVE) executive director Thia Hamilton.

“We know that fear of an inability to find housing” is the biggest reason women stay in violent relationships, Hamilton said.

Many of the other women and families simply end up on the streets, in a similar vulnerable situation, because they do not have the means to find housing on their own. In fact, more than 1,300 homeless individuals in D.C. reported being victims of domestic violence in a 2005 survey.

These staggering numbers have prompted advocates to challenge laws that unfairly penalize victims, and demand that the City Council increase the number of confidential shelter spaces available to domestic violence survivors.

“Domestic violence victims in D.C. continue to be trapped in violent relationships because they have no other options for shelter or housing … . For an individual who is in a violent relationship and already living in poverty, this harsh reality often means that she literally must choose between life with her abuser or life on the streets,” said Naomi Stern, a staff attorney with the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP), at a recent D.C. City Council Judiciary Committee hearing.

Stern manages NLCHP’s national domestic violence program and heads up the D.C. Working Group on Domestic Violence and Housing. She has advocated for the past several years for changes in the city to help survivors, and said that the three most necessary changes are funding to increase confidential shelter space, affordable housing opportunities for victims, and legal protections for victims facing eviction or breaking a lease.

Local legal and social services providers have reported that domestic violence victims “are often evicted or expelled from their homes or shelters, or denied or turned away from housing or shelter, because of domestic abuse committed against them,” according to the NLCHP. Additionally, domestic violence victims frequently have problems with housing because of poor credit and lack of employment and housing history, which typically stem from the abuse.

Many domestic violence survivors have to deal with the same marginalization faced by all homeless populations , additionally “complicated by the safety issues … and the gender implications,” Hamilton explained.

Domestic violence “overwhelmingly” affects women and children, she added. In fact, the NLCHP found that 85% of protective orders granted by D.C. Superior Court in 2001 were filed by women.

And many advocates believe that the number of homeless domestic violence victims is likely underreported. House of Ruth executive director Christel Nichols explained that obtaining such information is challenging because it largely depends on victims identifying themselves. Hamilton noted that the reason there aren’t good numbers on homelessness and domestic violence is because “many, many victims do not seek assistance in the police and court system.”

To address the housing and financial difficulties that confront many domestic violence survivors, Council members Adrian Fenty (Ward 4) and Jim Graham (Ward 1) introduced a pair of bills this spring.

The Housing Authority Rent Supplement Act of 2006 (B16-0661) would provide housing subsidies to private and nonprofit housing providers, to house low-income populations at affordable rates and help low-income populations find decent and affordable housing options.

The other bill, the Protection from Discriminatory Eviction for Victims of Domestic Violence Amendments Act of 2006 (B16-0703), would protect victims from eviction, release victims from their leases should their safety be compromised, and prohibit discrimination against victims.

“We’re excited about some current prospects with the administration in D.C.,” Hamilton said.

Stern said that outside D.C., public awareness of domestic violence issues is increasing, especially with reauthorization of the federal Violence Against Women Act in January. “Things addressing domestic violence have become politically popular,” she said. “There's been an emerging trend around the country to adopt these kinds of legal protections.”

Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington state all have laws similar to those that the D.C. Council is considering, according to the NLCHP. Additionally, Housing anti-discrimination and early lease termination by battered tenant laws have been proposed in the California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, and Massachusetts state legislatures.

Still, advocates agree that domestic violence victims need more than temporary shelter. Nichols explained that there also needs to be an increase in affordable housing and services for domestic violence victims. “Having someone go to a shelter is not the solution,” she said. “The shelter is just a place where” service providers can address the underlying issues.

Hamilton agreed and added that all parties need to work together to increase housing in a way so it does not become “additional warehousing.”

“There have been some encouraging gestures made,” Hamilton said. “But it’s not anywhere near where we need to be.”