In the near future, I will be reintroducing Senate Bill 670 from last session which establishes the SAFE housing trust fund that will benefit survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, human trafficking and stalking.
 
The “Survivor-centered, accessible, fair and empowering” (SAFE) Housing Trust Fund will provide much needed funding to increase resources to domestic violence programs, transitional housing programs and permanent housing solutions to better respond to the needs of these survivors. We must provide real support to the individuals leaving dangerous situations and ensure there are enough resources to meet shelter and housing needs.

According to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) more than 10 million people are abused each year in the United States.  In the last year, 119 survivors of domestic violence died.  Since Lethality Assessments began being used in 2012, 43,318 have been completed across the Commonwealth.  In 2023, on one day, 3,102 survivors were served by a Pennsylvania domestic violence program.

In Philadelphia the problem is particularly dire. During fiscal year 2023, Women Against Abuse (WAA), a Philadelphia provider of services for those facing domestic violence, reported turning away 88 requests for shelter because there were no open beds. Survivors should not have to face the impossible choice of staying with their abusers or becoming homeless because they cannot find safe shelter or housing.
 
The intersection of homelessness and intimate partner violence is well documented. Upwards of 50% of all homeless women report that domestic violence was the immediate cause of their homelessness. Multiple studies report that more than 80% of homeless mothers with children were survivors of intimate partner violence.
 
Advocates continuously identify housing as a primary need and a critical component in the long-term safety and stability of these survivors. However, as the need for housing continues to rise, funding for many of these programs is dwindling. Survivors of abuse already face many economic, employment, transportation, and child-care challenges - finding housing should not be one of them.
 
I hope you will join me in cosponsoring this important legislation. If you have any questions, please contact my office.
 

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 658 (Apr 21, 2025): P.L.343, No.176