Domestic Violence Victims No Longer Allowed to Be Evicted

The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) won another victory Thursday when the House of Representatives voted unanimously to approve the Velazquez amendment that restored certain protections to domestic violence victims. There were loopholes in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that allowed certain public housing authorities to evict a domestic violence victim when they screamed for help, called the police, or even just for being the victim. When President Bush signed the bill into law in 2005 these provisions were intact. However, the Section Eight Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA) had mistakenly removed these protections. Burning the midnight oil, Congress fixed these problems, as stated earlier, by a unanimous voice vote. This was reported to PR Newswire by NNEDV, Friday.

The President of NNEDV, Sue Else, was quoted as saying, "Congress heard the cries of domestic violence victims and acted swiftly to correct an injustice. We thank our allies in the House of Representatives for closing the loophole that could have forced domestic violence victims into homelessness. Rep. Nydia Velazquez's (D-NY) leadership as the sponsor of the amendment and Reps. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Judy Biggert (R-IL), and Spencer Bachus' (R-AL) support were essential and mean so much to survivors of violence across this country."

According to the report, 92% of the women who are homeless have been traumatized either physically or sexually. There is a definite link between domestic violence and homelessness. Quoting from the report, "among cities surveyed, 44% identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness."

Else, in reference to this, said, "If evicted, most victims have nowhere to go; therefore, many victims fear to report violence or seek help, afraid they will be thrown out on the streets." She went on to say, "These housing protections are critical to preventing homelessness and ensuring that victims can escape violence."

The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) represents the 53 state and U.S. territory domestic violence coalitions. The NNEDV website is http://www.nnedv.org/.

The VAWA act was originally passed in 1994. This recognized domestic violence and sexual assaults as criminal acts. It was reauthorized in 2000 with more more crimes, such as stalking and date violence, being acknowledged. There was also a provision for funding a legal assistance program.

NNEDV has played a crucial role in getting this bill passed, reauthorized, and expanded. Their website boasts that "NNEDV is the leading voice for domestic violence victims and their advocates." Searching through the site, there are numerous help numbers and locations. I noticed that when I logged on, at the top of the screen, it said that I should "use a safer computer" if I was in danger.

Source: PRNewswire; House Closes Loophole That Would Have Allowed Public Housing Authorities to Evict Domestic Violence Victims