Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Human Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Presentations spotlight gaps in domestic violence response and homeless shelter capacity for Deltona residents
Summary
Volusia County advocates and First Step Shelter representatives told the Deltona City Commission about high domestic violence rates and shelter capacity limits, and said Deltona has a pronounced local need for family-capable housing and coordinated reporting across agencies.
Speakers from the Volusia County Domestic Violence Partnership and First Step Shelter briefed the Deltona City Commission on local domestic-violence response and homeless-shelter services, emphasizing gaps in family housing and data collection that affect victims and people experiencing homelessness in Deltona.
Why it matters: Deltona commissioners and presenters said Deltona has a higher concentration of single-family households and a noticeable demand for services. Presenters urged commissioners to consider local funding and partnerships to expand safe, family-capable shelter space and support services.
What presenters said: Terry Ellis, representing the Volusia County Domestic Violence Partnership, summarized regional data and service coordination. She reported a county domestic-violence incident rate of “562.9 incidents per 100,000,” above the Florida average she cited (314 incidents per 100,000). Ellis described the partnership of 11 organizations and said the county has only a single HUD-certified domestic-violence shelter (DAC); wraparound partners help when DAC is full but shelter space remains limited for families.
Dr. Victoria Falberg, director of First Step Shelter, described the shelter’s model and capacity. She said First Step is a 100-bed shelter for single adults (men and women), with an outdoor “safe zone” used by law enforcement for 24-hour intake and a full-service kitchen that cooks about 300 meals per day. Falberg said the shelter averages a 61-day length of stay for residents, has helped house more than 1,072 people since opening about 5½ years ago, and reports that about 93% of those placed remain in housing according to HMIS reporting.
Concerns raised by commissioners: Commissioners asked how many Deltona residents the shelter serves; presenters said they do not have a city-specific count readily available. Commissioners and presenters discussed the particular shortfall for domestic-violence victims who have multiple children, noting that many shelters have limited capacity for families and that growing transitional housing for families remains a priority.
Funding and coordination: Falberg said First Step receives minimal federal funding and that roughly 50–60% of the shelter’s funding comes from local government partners. Ellis and Falberg both urged better cross-agency reporting: Ellis noted that not all partner agencies use HMIS, which can undercount families receiving nonlaw-enforcement services.
Next steps suggested: Commissioners asked staff to explore local funding options, including the potential use of CDBG dollars, and to follow up about whether neighborhood-center facilities in Deltona could serve as a local “safe zone” or provide wraparound support. Several commissioners said they would pursue meetings with shelter partners to explore West-side capacity for countywide services.
Closing: Presenters thanked the commission and asked to be contacted for follow-up on funding and local partnerships; commissioners requested additional data on Deltona-specific service counts and a timeline for potential local options.
