The Intimate Relationship between Domestic Violence and Homelessness

National estimates are that roughly 80% of homeless mothers with children have previously experienced domestic violence. Even with its strict and limited definition of homelessness, applying this estimate to HUD’s most recent data reveals that over 230,000 children living in shelter have been exposed to the traumatic and long-term effects of domestic violence at some point. At a time when the nation is experiencing a national crisis of child homelessness, we can no longer afford to ignore this critical connection.