Numbers seeking protection rise
Amid increased demand, Ohio’s shelters are hoping to receive additional assistance from state budget
The whiteboard on an office wall at the CHOICES for Victims of Domestic Violence shelter tells a story. h On it was written “122” – the shelter’s occupancy on a recent weekday, as well as the first names of 10 more people expected to arrive that day. Capacity is 120. h Just down the hall, behind closed doors, a family was sleeping on couches in what normally is a lounge area. h It’s one way shelter officials handle the chronic overflow they experience. And this day is typical.
In a surge officials attribute partly to the COVID-19 pandemic, calls to the shelter hotline have increased from an average of 11 a day, PRE-COVID, to nearly 14 a day in recent months.
Despite CHOICES increasing its space from 52 beds to 120 when it moved into the new shelter in January 2019, demand has already outstripped supply. And that’s why Franklin County’s only domestic violence shelter later this month will open a 24-bed expansion.
“When we built the shelter, we roughed in space for an addition because
it made sense economically,” said Sue Villilo, assistant vice president of community-based services for Lutheran Social Services, which runs the shelter. “But I didn’t think we would need it so soon.”
This increased need is mirrored statewide, which is why advocates are lobbying the Ohio legislature to increase the line-item funding for the state’s domestic violence programs from the current $1 million annually to $5 million.
Even if the legislature approves that five-fold increase – the House is expected to have its budget proposal ready sometime in April – it would not make up for the huge cut in federal funding.
In 2020, Ohio’s portion of funds from the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) was cut more than 35%, or by $7.7 million. For CHOICES, the cut amounted to $170,000, a number hardly made up for by the roughly $12,000 it received from the state budget.
“Statewide, that meant services were cut across the board,” said Mary O’doherty, executive director of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, which oversees the state’s 75 programs. “In some places, positions were cut and some shelters don’t have anyone on duty at night.” Additionally, domestic violence programs have been warned to expect another sizable cut in VOCA funding this year, possibly another 30% decline. VOCA money comes from fines collected in federal white-collar prosecutions, and the number of those prosecutions has dropped in recent years.
CHOICES nipped and tucked its budget, Villilo said, combining two positions into one and trying to trim food costs, among other efforts.
But amid the increased demand, it has been difficult. Last year, CHOICES put 114 people who called the hotline onto a waitlist (unless they were deemed in severe and immediate danger).
On all but two days in March this year, CHOICES was at or over capacity. Survivors sleep in common areas or are put in area motels.
“People here (at CHOICES) are going to care about you and respect you and you don’t have to fear violence,” Villilo said, “so if you have to sleep on the couch for two or three days, it’s probably well worth it.”
Villilo said there has been an increase during the pandemic not only in total calls, but what she says are “high danger” calls from law enforcement, where the abuse or threat of violence is more severe.
State Rep. Laura Lanese, R-grove City, has been a leading advocate for domestic violence funding in the legislature.
“I have known people that experienced it,” she said, “and then you think of the children that have to be raised in that environment and the victims that have to go through that. Home should be where you feel safest, and to have that completely turned on its head resonates with me.”
Lanese, O’doherty and Villilo all pointed to reasons why the pandemic has exacerbated domestic violence problems:
Being cooped up in a house together more often, the stress of losing a job, and perhaps friends or family members who no longer are willing to take people in because of fear of COVID infection.
O’doherty said the pandemic and the discussion of its effects actually may help in the effort to secure more state funding. “People have had an increased awareness of the issue, and the VOCA cuts have also helped us make our case,” she said. “I think we have a good message here that should resonate. I’m feeling somewhat optimistic.” Lanese concurs.
“It’s my top goal,” she said, “and I’ve advocated for several of my colleagues to make it one of their top goals. I’m hopeful, because in the grand scheme of things and with the amount of money in our (state) budget, $5 million to help people who have suffered through domestic violence is not a big ask.” kgordon@dispatch.com @kgdispatch