Domestic violence experts spoke Feb. 10th at the Utah State Capitol about the state’s growing problem with domestic violence.
The Salt Lake Tribune published an eye-opening article on the state of domestic violence funding in the state on February 10th, authored by Jim Dalrymple II:
“Jenn Oxborrow — domestic violence program administrator for the Utah Department of Human Services — explained that the people working with survivors of domestic violence are accomplishing tremendous things with limited resources. Over the past five years, she said, funding has remained flat but 13 private domestic violence shelters in the state have managed to house more than 41 percent more survivors — going from 76,767 shelter nights in 2008 to 108,377 nights in 2012.
But despite the increased services, many people continue to fall through the cracks. Oxborrow said that over those same five years the number of people who weren’t served by domestic violence shelters increased by 67 percent. In 2012, that meant 2,809 people — mostly women and children — were turned away by already-full domestic violence shelters.”