ABC-7 News: High housing market impacts domestic violence victims

Reporter Amanda Lojewski

The housing market poses a risk to domestic violence victims attempting to leave an abusive home.

Rental data from Zumper shows the median rent price in Naples right now is just more than $2,100 a month for one bedroom. It’s up 51% from a year ago.

It takes a lot of courage to open up to a complete stranger let alone share a deeply personal and painful story. The courage it took to sit down for an interview with us, can’t compare to the bravery it takes a domestic violence survivor to call for help.

“Out there I was raped I was abused due to lack of permanent housing,” said a local survivor.

This survivor, who’s identity we disguised for her own safety, couldn’t find an affordable place to live.

“I did at one point have a section 8 hud voucher, but because the vouchers are so low it was very hard for me to find a landlord that was willing to take the voucher,” she said. She is also visually impaired which didn’t make her situation any easier.

When it comes to surviving domestic violence, a safe place to go is crucial.

“I tried and tried to access permanent housing with the housing crisis and I had exhausted all my resources,” she said.

She’s off the streets now and is with the Naples Shelter for Abused Women and Children.

Tama Caldarone is the COO for the shelter. She said, “staying with their abuser is always a dangerous situation. It means perhaps danger is escalating, violence is escalating.”

Caldarone said she has seen survivors and victims attempt to find housing in our area but once they do it’s already been taken.

Lee Eure is an Economic Justice Advocate for SPARCC. Eure said the current housing crisis poses the biggest barrier for domestic violence victims.

“How scary would that be if you’re trapped into a violent home, a violent situation and you don’t even have access to your own money or any kind of funds to be able to get out,” he said. “When someone flees domestic violence they might have some money for a weekend, maybe a month at most.”

Thankfully, with the shelter in Naples help, survivors have hope.

“To give up is just like throwing dirt over me and saying it’s done,” said the survivor. “I could not just give up, I couldn’t allow myself to die out there wondering what was next I had to keep pushing.”

She doesn’t know what’s next, but the bravery that brought her to the shelter could eventually lead her to a home she can call her own.

For more information, you can go to the Naples Shelter website. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at (800)799-7233.