8265.
The Legislature finds and declares the following:(a) Women and men who experienced food and housing insecurity in the past 12 months reported a significantly higher 12-month prevalence of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner compared to women and men who did not experience food and housing insecurity.
(b) Domestic violence survivors are especially vulnerable to homelessness due to the dynamics of power and control present in a domestic violence situation, economic instability resulting from the abuse, the effects of trauma, and the need for safety and confidentiality as well as housing.
(c) Domestic violence survivors face unique barriers to accessing shelter and affordable housing.
(d) Women who experienced interpersonal violence in the last year were almost four times as likely to report housing instability as women who did not experience interpersonal violence.
(e) Between 22 percent and 57 percent of all homeless women report that domestic violence was the immediate cause of their homelessness.
(f) Additionally, 38 percent of all survivors of domestic violence become homeless at some point in their lives.
(g) A survivor of domestic violence will often leave the person causing harm multiple times before finally escaping the violence, resulting in multiple periods of homelessness.
(h) The violence and experience of homelessness not only impacts the adult survivors of domestic violence, but also their children. Among mothers with children experiencing homelessness, more than 80 percent previously experienced domestic violence.
(i) Sheltering in place will slow the spread of COVID-19, but will increase rates of domestic violence and sexual assault. Staying at home is not safe for everyone, particularly for victims of domestic violence sheltering in place with the person who is harming them.
(j) China has reported increased incidents of domestic violence as a result of sheltering in place, and disasters like Hurricane Katrina that created social isolation, financial stress, and decreased access to services increased rates of domestic violence and sexual assault. Early data from domestic violence service providers and law enforcement already show an increase in calls to domestic violence hotlines and law enforcement as survivors seek safety and protection.
(k) On just one day in September 2019, 3,307 adult and child victims of domestic violence found refuge in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or other housing provided by local domestic violence programs in California. However on the same day, 630 survivor requests for shelter or safe housing went unmet due to lack of resources.
(l) Housing for domestic violence survivors was an already urgent issue, and has become even more so in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. As more domestic violence shelters are full and cannot exit survivors during this crisis, programs are providing a range of alternative safe housing options for survivors in need, including the use of hotel stays.
(m) By requiring that a percentage of homelessness funding is dedicated to the needs of domestic violence survivors experiencing or at risk of homelessness, it is the intent of the Legislature to provide essential, lifesaving services to survivors.