Imagine being forced to leave your home because of domestic violence. You’ve fled, and now you’re left alone to fend for yourself on the streets. Those who are homeless are going to be asked about this very serious problem in New York. According to the news from Jan. 22, New York will now ask if the homeless are fleeing from domestic violence.
Getting this information can help communities understand and serve the population of homeless individuals. It also helps advocates understand how much domestic violence is taking place, so they can find ways to address it.
2018 will be the first year in which the homeless will be asked about whether they’re homeless because of domestic violence or not. They’ll also be asked if they’re homeless due to dating violence, sexual assault or stalking. Asking such specific questions will help narrow down the possibilities and give those who can help a better idea of what they’re working against in the community and what they can do to help.
Although this is taking place in New York, the data collected could help people accused of domestic violence and those struggling with domestic violence. The data would show if homelessness is often caused by alleged abuse in the home or if there are more likely to be other causes. This could be helpful information to use in a case, especially if the data ends up showing that it’s not a common issue or that the rate of domestic violence in the state was not as high as expected. It could be important information to provide to a court in the case that trends of domestic violence are decreasing.
Source: Governing.com, “Homeless Will Now Be Asked: Are You Fleeing Domestic Violence?,” Matt Vasilogambros, Jan. 22, 2018