When Karen Delaware left her alcoholic, abusive husband, she and her five children didn’t even have a car to sleep in. They moved from shelter to shelter so often that Karen’s daughter told her, “I only know one game – the packing game.”
Karen’s family is not alone. More than 360,000 Californians are homeless every night. Last year, 5,108 women and children were turned away from full domestic violence shelters.
Right here in Santa Clara County, more than 20,000 men, women, and children experience homelessness every year. EHC LifeBuilders provides safe shelter to more than 13,000 people annually, including Karen and her family. But the waiting lists for its affordable homes and emergency shelters are long, and people are forced to turn away every night.
Community Solutions, which provides the only emergency domestic violence shelter in South Santa Clara County, is well aware of the desperate need for affordable housing for women fleeing violent relationships. Last year alone, its shelter served 72 women and 85 children. Of the 72 women served, only 13 percent secured safe transitional or long-term supportive housing upon leaving the shelter. The shortage of affordable housing in Santa Clara County is one of the primary obstacles that inhibit these women’s ability to escape violence for the long-term.
We all know that neighborhoods succeed when everyone has a decent place to live. When parents and children can put down roots in the community with confidence, our whole community benefits. Providing affordable, safe homes strengthens our neighborhoods in many ways.
Homelessness has a devastating impact on the education of children: a child loses between four and six months of academic time with each change of school. When kids move from school to school, their problems in school multiply, affecting every child in the classroom. With stable homes, they can focus on learning and join their classmates in becoming productive members of our community.
When people can live in homes with the services they need, rather than spending days and nights in public places, we all benefit. Everyone deserves to play in the park and rest under a roof. And affordable homes are a wise use of our limited resources. In California, affordable supportive housing can save more than $9,000 a year per person in health care, emergency and shelter resources.
This November, we can all make a difference in the lives of families like Karen’s and improve quality of life in our community by voting yes on Proposition 1C. The Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act of 2006 will provide emergency shelters for battered women and homeless families, affordable homes for seniors and working families, and homes for former foster youth. The measure will be funded out of existing state resources without raising taxes.
The security and stability of our communities are improved when everyone can find a decent place to live, ensuring quality of life for all of us. That’s why Proposition 1C is endorsed by business groups, realtors, churches and labor unions, as well as the League of Women Voters, AARP, and Habitat for Humanity.
Please help make a difference in the lives of families like Karen’s in South Santa Clara County. Tell all your family and friends to vote ‘yes’ on Proposition 1C.
Erin O’Brien is the CEO of Community Solutions.
Barry Del Buono is president and CEO of EHC LifeBuilders.
