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Commission warns of shelter capacity gaps and need for emergency housing funding for victims
Summary
Commission members and agency leads told the Dane County advisory commission that shelter capacity is limited, that lethality-prevention shelters differ from general shelters, and that emergency hotel vouchers and accessible shelter space for people with mobility or cognitive needs are critical.
Members of the Dane County advisory commission on victim services spent substantial time discussing shelter capacity, the role of emergency housing for victims and the need for accessible shelter options for people with functional or cognitive support needs.
Amy Brown, director of victim services in the Dane County District Attorney's Office, outlined a common practice: "When domestic violence victims need emergency housing at night or on the weekends, Our crime response program is often, contacted, and they help to facilitate that. Having budget lines where we have access to funds so that we can provide those services on an emergency basis. These are literally hotel rooms that we're booking for people, but they make a really big difference," she said.
Commissioners and advocates flagged two specific issues: first, that the county's primary domestic violence shelter operates as a lethality-prevention shelter with criteria focused on the highest-risk survivors; second, that current shelter spaces can be inaccessible for older adults and people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). Beth Freeman, manager of Adult Protective Services, said shelters are often functionally difficult for people who "may need assistance with personal cares or just some simple queuing to be able to be safe."
Speakers proposed several solutions: additional budget lines to cover emergency hotel stays, clearer referral language and training for law enforcement and first responders so they can distinguish between shelter types and refer survivors appropriately, and models that allow caregivers to accompany people with care needs into shelter spaces where safe and feasible.
Shannon Berry, executive director of DACE Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, and other leaders urged that county board outreach and contract language reflect the need for trauma- and disability-responsive housing options. The commission agreed to include shelter and emergency housing priorities in materials for an upcoming county board committee presentation.
Ending: Chair Dana Pellebon asked members to forward short, specific priorities and funding-gap language to support the commission's presentation to the Public Protection and Judiciary Committee and to the Health and Human Needs Committee later in the week.
