A Housing Research Project Measuring the Effectiveness of Housing Services in Wisconsin for Survivors of Domestic Violence

During that survey period, the National Network to End Domestic Violence found that a majority of unmet service requests by survivors to service providers were for housing. 65% of requests that were not able to be provided “because programs lacked the resources to meet victims’ needs” were requests for housing. In Wisconsin, the picture painted by this survey was even more dire with fully 87% of unmet requests for service being for housing. In light of these numbers, End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (End Abuse) decided it was imperative to more fully understand how this challenging housing situation manifests in the lived experience of survivors of domestic violence.

End Abuse, with 76 member programs including agencies both with and without shelter capacity as well as culturally-specific and tribal partners, is the statewide voice for victims of domestic violence dedicated to educating advocates, law enforcement, legislators, and community members to provide safety and support to survivors. The first step in this education is a full understanding of the challenges facing survivors, and in Wisconsin, the primary challenge appears to be housing services.

Also Read: The Evolution of Low-Income Housing Policy, 1949 to 1999