As families snuggle by the fire this holiday season, 48% of domestic violence survivors will be turned away from emergency shelters because of lack of capacity and funding issues. That percentage has been on the rise for the last five years.
In Hays County, every room at the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center’s shelter is currently full, although they are still taking calls from people needing help.
“We want to be sure people know that we will find safe options if they’re from our service area and in need,” HCWC Director of Community Partnerships Melissa Rodriguez said. “We had seen a bit of a decline in our shelter numbers when the pandemic first began but we have seen a steady increase as time went on. The holidays always bring additional stressors to families so being full is not unusual for this time of year.”
