Emergency shelters, transitional housing, and economic crisis, oh my!

We have a Guest Blogger from Bethany House today: Jennifer Wassermann, Development Associate, Bethany House of Northern Virginia

In a world where 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence¹and 1 in 4 Fairfax County families cite domestic violence as their reason for homelessness², it is no wonder emergency shelters like Bethany House of Northern Virginia (BHNV) are perpetually full and in need of more space to serve families in crisis

The economic crisis that is facing the nation severely impacted the transitional housing and affordable housing markets. More families on the brink of homelessness placed a greater demand on transitional housing programs - a demand the transitional housing programs were not fully prepared to meet. As a result, there existed significant waiting lists for families hoping to move into transitional housing units. The consequence for BHNV was we were unable to move our families into transitional housing units (like Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services) in the expected time frame. BHNV made the decision to hold onto our families until space became available rather than risk the families becoming homeless. BHNV's emergency shelters remained at capacity throughout the year, nevertheless, BHNV was able to serve fewer families overall.

BHNV works together with organizations like Good Shepherd Housing to meet the needs of people in crisis and help them rebuild their lives. During this time, collaboration between nonprofits continues to be crucial. BHNV provides services for four to six months and prepares families for the next step, but without nonprofits like Good Shepherd Housing our families won’t have anywhere to step toward the future. Emergency shelter and transitional housing go hand in hand.

As much needed funds are poured into transitional housing, let’s not forget about the emergency shelters who prepare families for transitional housing. Victims of domestic violence do not plan to be victims and need time to recover from the trauma before jumping into transitional housing. Just as our bodies need rest and food, so it is with meeting the needs of families in crisis. Emergency shelters will always be needed just like transitional housing programs will always be needed – both are vital.

BHNV provides safe housing and comprehensive support services to women and children who are homeless and destitute as a result of domestic violence. BHNV was started over 30 years again by Doris Ward who saw the struggles faced by victims of abuse: a long wait through courts, limited resources, and a lack of safe shelter. You can visit the website at www.bhnv.org or the blog at www.bhnv.wordpress.com.

¹2005 CDC Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey

2 Point in Time Survey, prepared by the Community Planning Group of the Continuum of Care, Fairfax County, Fairfax/Falls Church, Virginia, March 31, 2008.