October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), a time to bring advocates, survivors, elected officials, and everyone together to end domestic violence across the country and support the staggering number of survivors, many of whom are not receiving the services and security they need.
The raw numbers are shocking: Domestic violence (DV) affects more than 12 million people a year, and I believe this is a low estimate because this is just the number of those who report. Almost 1 in 2 women and more than 2 in 5 men report having experienced domestic violence. Domestic violence is a cross-sectoral issue that includes homelessness, public safety, the criminal justice system, and women’s rights.
According to the 2025 Los Angeles Continuum of Care Point-in-Time Count, 42% of people experiencing homelessness reported a history of DV or Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), and 10% became unhoused as a direct result of fleeing violence. For women, the impact is even more severe: one in five identified violence as the immediate cause of their homelessness. The 2025 Count also reported 4,420 unsheltered adults in need of DV-specific beds. And in LA, there are fewer than 1,000 available…