Sexual violence ties closely with homelessness. Experiencing housing instability increases risk for sexual violence. Past victimization also increases risk for homelessness.
Here are a few fast facts:
- 7% of Rape survivors needed housing after their assault.
- 42% of homeless youth are survivors of childhood sexual abuse
- 16% of low income women reported sexually abusive behavior by a landlord.
- 17% of transgender people were sexually assaulted while staying at a homeless shelter.
- Homeless veterans have high rates of military sexual trauma.
Another unfortunate statistic is that many of the people who experience homelessness and also had a history of sexual violence will struggle to find safe and stable housing. When a survivor shares that they struggle with homelessness, it often becomes a game of calling around to find available services, shelter beds, and resources.
Our advocates will assist survivors in making these calls, and can often help with providing info on rental assistance programs or emergency shelter. More recently, we have started applying for small grants to assist with emergency housing. Demand has been high for housing support since the start of the pandemic.
The first priority is a safe(r) place tonight, but the long-term solution is often a real challenge. Safety planning is an important part of the process. No matter what, survivors do not need to navigate the process and the systems alone. SARCC advocates are on-call 24/7 to listen and provide referrals through our hotlines – 570-628-2965 or 717-272-5308.
Resource of the Week: What are the Links Between Sexual Violence & Homelessness?