|
2.
Homeless Report:
150,000 to 200,000 people are homeless for long periods or have
repeated episodes of homelessness. The solution is permanent supportive
housing. But who will pay?
There is an organization in
New York called
Pathways to Housing
http://www.pathwaystohousing.org/Articles/Mission.html If you know of a
similar organization in your area, please let us know. We receive requests
for information from homeless with pets and nearly homeless every week.
Domestic
violence is the immediate cause of homelessness for many women and children.
In November 2006, over 22,000 victims of domestic violence—12,000 children
and 10,000 adults—received housing services from 1,243 domestic violence
service providers.
Allie
Phillips was an assistant prosecutor in the mid 1990s on many domestic
violence cases.
She said, "One
frequent concern I heard was 'If I testify or if I do not go back to him, he
will kill my pet.'"
This is why Phillips and the American Humane Association created the Pets
and Women’s Shelters Program (PAWS).
Between 71 and 85 percent of women entering domestic violence shelters
reported that a partner had threatened, injured or killed the family pet,
according to a study done in 1997.
And when women are
considering fleeing abusive homes, they often have to choose between leaving
their pet behind or staying in the abusive relationship.
American Humane is the leading organization raising awareness about The
Link® between animal abuse and other forms of violence. PAWS can help
alleviate domestic violence. To read about their program go to
http://www.americanhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=lk_PAWS
Approximately 650,000 former prisoners will be released this year. Without
assistance accessing housing, many will become homeless
|
