On a single day in 2025, nearly 53,600 adults and children found refuge in emergency shelters, transitional housing, hotels, motels, or other housing provided by local domestic-violence programs across the U.S. Tragically, another 13,018 requests for help from victims went unanswered due to a lack of funding, space or staffing. The majority of these unmet requests (58%) were for emergency housing.*

Researchers have long documented domestic violence as a leading cause of homelessness for women and their minor children, and, once homeless, they become especially vulnerable to further violence and victimization.

Recognizing this connection, the Homeless Services Network has expanded its programs to include specific resources for survivors, including caseworkers with specialized training in working with this population and housing assistance that gradually decreases as families gain safety and stability.

More recently, we expanded this program to include survivors of human trafficking, who face similar risks of homelessness when escaping captors.