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Click on these topics for information and website links:

Housing & Homelessness
Poverty
Violence Against Women
Trauma & Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Housing & Homelessness

Both the nation and this region are experiencing a crisis in affordable housing and the populations at highest risk in this crisis are women and children, the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. In 2003 in the U.S., single men comprised 41% of the total homeless population and families with children comprised 40% (the majority of these families are single-parent families headed by women).

According to a Worcester, MA housing market study commissioned by the city and conducted by RKG Associates in 2002, there is a shortfall of nearly 6,000 units of affordable housing for low income families in Worcester. The lack of affordable housing in conjunction with the restricted availability of funding for housing assistance and homelessness prevention programs has resulted in an increase in homelessness regionally.

For more information on homelessness, we recommend the following websites:

Poverty

While Massachusetts’ rents have risen, public assistance has decreased and the minimum wage has not risen to cover the cost of living. In addition to facing sharply increasing housing costs with inadequate wages, many working mothers pay up to 50% of their wages for childcare.

The result of this situation is a dramatic increase in the number of homeless families (the vast majority headed by women). In the past several years, our shelter advocate has seen more women than ever before arrive at the shelter with absolutely no income whatsoever.

The “Self-Sufficiency Standard for Massachusetts,” published in 2003 by the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union, calculated actual living costs in the city of Worcester:

There is an enormous gap between income and the cost of living. Organizations like Abby’s House must stretch their resources to their limits to help women and families bridge the gap.

Recommended websites on poverty:

Violence Against Women

A study conducted by the National Center on Family Homelessness with homeless and low-income women in 1996 in Worcester, MA showed that 92% of the homeless and 82% of the housed mothers interviewed experienced severe physical and/or sexual assaults at some point in their lives. More than 40% were sexually molested as children. In addition, more than one-third experienced Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at some point in their lives (this is three times the rate of the general female population in the U.S.). This research continues to be supported by Abby’s House statistics. Abused women are more likely to suffer depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem than those who have never experienced abuse. Violence, whether past or present, plays a key role in mental health problems, creating barriers to self sufficiency.

Domestic Violence

What is Battering?

Battering is behavior that establishes power and control over another person, including fear and intimidation, and the threat and use of violence. The abuse of family members and intimate partners can take many forms, including: emotional abuse, sexual abuse, economic abuse, threats, intimidation, isolation and other means. Women are most commonly the victims of domestic violence.

Why do women stay?

Women’s reasons for staying in violent relationships are complex. In many cases the danger of leaving the relationship is quite real. If her abuser has all the economic and social status, leaving can plunge women abruptly into homelessness and poverty. Child custody concerns can also prevent women from leaving.

There is no set profile of women who will be battered. However, there is a well-documented syndrome of experience shared by battered women, including:

• feelings of shame, embarrassment and isolation;
• fear for her life;
• lack of adequate support for leaving from family and friends;
• economic concerns;
• hope that the battering behavior will stop;
• lack of access to support systems.

How can you help?

 Do you know someone in a battering relationship, or do you suspect that someone you love is being abused? By helping her you may save her life. Here are some steps you can take to help someone who is experiencing domestic violence:

• Approach her in an understanding and non-judgmental way, making sure that she knows she is not alone.
• Listen to her fears and acknowledge that she is in a dangerous situation. Assure her that she does not deserve to be battered.
• Help her connect with resources for understanding her situation, such as those provided in the website links below.
• Research and provide her with information on services for battered women in your area.
• Help her develop strategies for leaving the relationship – strategies with which she feels comfortable and that will not compromise her safety.

For emergency assistance, here are phone numbers for the National Domestic Violence Hotline:

1-800-799-7233; TDD – 1-800-787-3224

Recommended websites with information on domestic violence:

Trauma & Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

The poverty, homelessness and domestic violence experienced by the guests and residents of Abby’s House have direct and devastating effects upon their mental and physical health and well-being.

The long-term trauma experienced in domestic violence situations impacts victims’ self-concept, belief systems and parenting abilities. The lingering effects of trauma can also prevent the development of healthy relationships and the ability to access community support networks.

Our shelter guests report diagnoses of PTSD at three times the rate of the general female population in the U.S. Our staff and volunteers are active participants in the healing of women and children with PTSD. Since 2001, through our PTSD Training Project, everyone at Abby’s providing direct service receives training in this disorder as it relates to the women and children we serve.

What is PTSD?

PTSD results from exposure to extreme trauma, such as: war; natural disaster; accidents; violence; physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. The response usually involves intense fear, helplessness, and/or horror. Further, the traumatic event continues to have an affect on memory and consciousness. PTSD involves the experience of re-living rather than remembering traumatic events. Both children and adults may suffer from PTSD.

Symptoms of the disorder include: recurrent and intrusive recollections of the event, recurrent distressing dreams of the event, difficulty falling or staying asleep, irritability or outbursts of anger, hyper-vigilance, intense psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues or triggers, feelings of detachment; and difficulty concentrating.

Complex PTSD occurs when the trauma itself is chronic (lasting months or years) rather than short-term. Symptoms include those of PTSD with the addition of suicidal thoughts, explosive or inhibited anger, feeling detached from one’s mental processes or body, feelings of helplessness, guilt, and shame, feelings of isolation and distrust, as well as other symptoms. This form of PTSD is common among domestic abuse survivors.

At Abby’s House we strive to create a physical space that feels safe for women with PTSD, and our staff and volunteers provide a lifeline of safety and support that promotes healing and allows women with this debilitating illness to take control over their lives.

Recommended websites on trauma & PTSD: