National Network to End Domestic Violence to Host Virtual Congressional Briefing on the 16th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report
May 9, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9, 2022
Contact: Lisa B. Winjum, NNEDV Director of Development and Communications (communications@nnedv.org; cell 203-952-6029)
Washington, D.C. – The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) will discuss the findings of its 16th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report at a bipartisan Congressional briefing on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at 2:00 PM ET. The zoom event will be broadcast on Facebook Live.
The annual report documents the number of people who sought services from U.S. domestic violence shelter programs during a single 24-hour survey period. It documents the number of people who sought services, as well as the type of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet due to a lack of resources, and the issues and barriers domestic violence programs face as they strive to provide services to domestic violence victims. Advocates at every level, national experts, journalists, and policymakers rely on the report to understand survivors’ urgent needs, the issues and barriers domestic violence programs face as they strive to provide services to victims, and the necessary funding and policy changes that could help.
The briefing will feature a discussion moderated by NNEDV President & CEO Deborah J. Vagins with panelists Alexandra Appleton (Domestic Violence Survivor), Antonia Drew Vann (Director and Founder, The Asha Project), and Jonathan Yglesias (Policy Director, Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance).
The briefing will be held in cooperation with U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), U.S. Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA) and U.S. Representative John Katko (R-NY).
The 16th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report found that on September 9, 2021, 70,032 adult and child victims of domestic violence received lifesaving services, including 38,608 victims who found refuge in emergency shelters, transitional housing, hotels, motels, or other housing; and 31,424 victims who received non-residential assistance and services, including counseling, legal advocacy, and children’s support groups. On that same day, local programs were unable to meet 9,444 requests for services—primarily requests for housing or emergency shelter—because they lacked sufficient resources. The briefing will highlight these findings to raise awareness about the funding and policy changes needed to support the essential work local domestic violence programs do every day.
Domestic violence programs continue to face insufficient funding at the federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local levels. This funding can mean the difference between staying with an abusive partner or having the ability to safely escape. More funding and resources are urgently needed.
This briefing will highlight how critical annual and supplemental funds provided by the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s “DV Bonus Funds” are for victim services.
The briefing will also address necessary policy changes that can help survivors, including centering the needs of Communities of Color in all legislation, appropriations, and policymaking; enacting workplace protections that promote financial security; enacting policies that promote economic security; advancing access to safe, affordable housing; and strengthening protections for immigrant and other marginalized survivors, among others.
###
The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) represents the 56 U.S. state and territorial coalitions against domestic violence. NNEDV is dedicated to creating a social, political, and economic environment in which domestic violence no longer exists. NNEDV works to make domestic violence a national priority, change the way society responds to domestic violence, and strengthen domestic violence advocacy at every level.
The 16th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report is made possible through support from The Allstate Foundation, Match Group, Meta, and Element 74.