Domestic violence is ‘a public health crisis’ in Iowa

Recently, I sat in the living room of someone close to me helping her pack a lifetime of belongings to move out of her dream home and into an apartment she has yet to secure. We talked, we laughed, we cried. When the children weren’t within earshot, we discussed something we have in common: surviving domestic violence.

Her divorce recently finalized, she has been given 60 days to vacate the property so that the proceeds from the sale of her home can be divided between her and her abuser. While we wrapped her mother’s china, I received a call from my sister. My sister’s friend was in need of assistance, as her domestic partner had smashed her phone and threatened to take her children away from her the night before. She, too, was now in need of safe, stable housing for herself and her three small children.

Here in Cedar Rapids, Waypoint Services provides support for victims, survivors and families impacted by domestic violence. I spoke with Nelly Hill, director of domestic violence services.

“Domestic violence is an epidemic,” Nelly explained, “and whether you realize it or not, you likely know someone who has been impacted.”

Through the pandemic, the model for domestic violence services has had to adapt beyond a transition to virtual communication. The focus of the work itself has undergone a shift from long-term healing and the implementation of escape plans to providing emotional support for victims living with domestic violence and working to lower the risk of harm as clients were forced to shelter in place with their abusers.

Those experiencing domestic violence who were previously able to find some measure of respite at work where they could access support from co-workers or use a telephone without fear of being overheard were now facing job losses due to the pandemic, working from home and doing their best to help their children through virtual learning programs while living with an abusive domestic partner.

The derecho rendered a considerable chunk of existing residential structures in our town uninhabitable. Storm-impacted residents in need of temporary rental accommodations in a market already straining to meet housing needs continues to affect Waypoint’s ability to assist with housing solutions for those escaping unsafe domestic relationships. The supply has not met demand, and many of the homes in our area still have work to be done. Rentals and homes for purchase are in short supply nearly a year after the storm.

The atmosphere is changing as we begin to emerge from pandemic restrictions. Vaccination rates continue to increase, people are returning to the workplace and more of our day-to-day functions are returning to some measure of normalcy; what does this mean for domestic violence services?

While providers like Waypoint are excited about the prospect of returning to in-person support groups and the work of long-term healing vs. crisis management, the lack of available housing and shelter space presents a massive barrier to those who have already had their escape plans on hold for months due to the pandemic.

Laura Hessburg, policy director for the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, reiterated that a primary obstacle to people experiencing domestic violence is access to safe, stable housing.

“The policy changes that would be most helpful are those that would help survivors to gain economic independence. The leading cause of homelessness for women and children is domestic violence, and housing is the number one requested resource for those reaching out to our 23 regional service organizations for help,” she said.

What might those policies look like? The Right to Assistance Act passed in 2015 benefited those experiencing domestic violence by removing the requirement for landlords to evict tenants for calling the police for help. For someone experiencing stalking or harassment by an abuser, fear of calling the police due to the threat of eviction was a barrier to seeking help even when their life was at risk. This was particularly problematic because as Laura reminded me, “The most dangerous time in an abusive relationship is when a survivor is leaving.” The Right to Assistance Act protected all tenants in need of services from the police from facing eviction for calling for help.

However, a bill introduced in 2021 that would seal eviction records over three years old or proceedings that did not actually result in eviction passed unanimously through the Iowa House but did not become law. Because prior evictions are part of the screening process for selecting new tenants, a person who had to break a lease to escape domestic abuse or who was unable to pay rent due to economic abuse may be denied access to safe, stable housing so desperately needed. Further, the impact of eviction screening is felt more harshly by Black women — who were more likely to be denied housing based on a prior eviction filing even when they won the eviction case.

Another 2021 policy amendment that would have allowed early release from a rental agreement for victims of domestic violence was also unsuccessful, but both may return for review in the next legislative session,

Over the last year, the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence and their regional service organizations including Waypoint have suffered from the same fundraising woes that have plagued nonprofits throughout the pandemic — fundraisers could not be held and individual donations have proved challenging to secure.

To make matters worse, federal funds allocated to VOCA, the Victims of Crime Act, will be cut by 35 percent over fiscal years 2021 and 2022. VOCA is the biggest funding source for victims’ services nationwide.

A letter to Gov. Kim Reynolds from the executive directors of Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Iowa Coalition for Collective Change states that “at least 28,000 fewer crime victims will receive services from Iowa programs in the next two years“ due to this cut. These organizations banded together to appeal to Reynolds for a portion of the American Rescue Plan funding to be allocated to crime victim assistance — not to grow programs, although the need outweighs resources currently available — simply to sustain current levels of support in light of the federal VOCA funding cut.

Laura Hessburg sighed heavily as she described the magnitude of the domestic abuse epidemic. “Domestic violence is a public health crisis. If we thought about it as a virus that would impact one in four women, with most first experiences happening before age 18, we would respond accordingly.”

Sofia DeMartino is a Gazette editorial fellow. sofia.demartino@thegazette.com