Agenda - Council - 08/10/1993 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I City of Ramsey Page Four NEED AND CURRENT PROGRAM Domestic violence is the leading single cause of injury and death for women in Minnesota and the United States. As more people become educated about the issue and more services become available more and more victims come forward requesting assistance. Over 132,O00 incidents of domestic violence in Minnesota are reported annually with many incidents unreported. Each year over 6,400 women and 6,500 of their children/youth are sheltered in Minnesota. Research estimates that 25%-37% of all women experience battering--an estimated 382,000 to 566,000 women in Minnesota. Women who stay in relationships with an abusive partner often see themselves as having few alternatives to their current situation. Women who are abused, typically face escalating violence, live in continual fear of their partner and experience the on-going threat of physical harm. They are isolated by their abuser from social contact with friends and family, have few financial resources and are often victims of emotional abuse where they are blamed for the violent outbursts. In Anoka County alone, orders for protection increased from 540 in 1990 to approximately 1,700 in 1991. Domestic violence is clearly an inter-generational problem, tragically, violence as a way of life in the family is passed on from one generation to the next. In at least half of the families children/youth as well as their mothers are physically, sexually and/or emotionally abused. Sixty percent of the boys who witness domestic violence will become batterers and 50% of the girls will become victims of domestic violence as adults. Alexandra House, Inc. is the only shelter for battered women and their children/youth in Anoka County. In our current facility, we are providing 24 hour temporary, emergency shelter and support services for up to 20 women and their children/youth per night and a total of about 450 individuals each year. Every month however, we must turn away over 250 women and their children/youth requesting shelter. More appropriate shelter services would vastly increase the chances of successful recovery from crisis for battered women and their families. Unfortunately, there is a great shortfall of appropriate shelter space. Alexandra House, Inc. is currently located in a very large older residential structure. A number of years ago this building was cut in two and moved from northern Minnesota to its current location to be used as a single family residence. In 1985, Alexandra House acquired and.~rehabilitated this structure to be used as a shelter facility for battered women and their children/youth. This plan was to be temporary for up to 3 years~