The number of people in emergency shelters for domestic violence victims has increased notably from the 2022 to 2024 fiscal years, despite a slight decrease from 2023.
Some of the shelters are beyond full: shelters statewide were at an average of 95% capacity in the 2022 fiscal year and at 129% capacity in 2024.
The total number of people housed increased from 2022 to 2023 by 20%, then dropped by 4.6% in 2024, which is still a 14.5% increase over 2022.
The overall increase from 2022 has not been the same for children and adults — there are 13.36% more adults and 15.77% more children, according to the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV). They were housed in emergency shelters, domestic violence rapid rehousings, transitional living and supportive housing. CCADV reports statewide numbers, so an overcapacity average doesn’t mean every shelter was over capacity — some shelters always exceed capacity, others don’t.
“We are seeing statewide a trend that individuals are coming into our system,” said Meghan Scanlon, CEO of CCADV. “They are requiring more support and more case management services, so it is taking them longer to get to a place of safety and independence.”
The average length of stay has increased from the 2022 to the 2024 fiscal years, according to CCADV’s data. In 2022, the average length of stay was 43 days. In 2023, the average stay increased to 46 days, and in 2024, it jumped to 53 days.
The CCADV has a network of 18 member organizations in Connecticut that provide services to victims of domestic violence. About 40% of referrals come from the criminal justice system.
And services aren’t limited to shelters. They also include child services, housing, court advocacy, counseling and mental health support.
The total number of domestic violence victims served in some way by CCADV remained relatively stable, with a decrease of 0.21%, and a 3.29% decline in adults served but a 62.34% increase in children served between 2022 and 2024. This only represents services provided to those victims who sought help from the domestic violence service system and not the total number of victims in the state.
“We are seeing children impacted by this significantly. And when I say impacted, directly impacted by the abuse in [domestic violence] cases,” Scanlon said. She also mentioned unmet mental health or substance needs affect overall victim safety, including how much time people spend in shelters.
In 2023, police reported 16,023 family violence incidents, a 2.6% decrease from the 16,457 incidents reported in 2022. During the same period, the number of people served by CCADV also declined by 1.82%. However, from 2023 to 2024, the number of people served by CCADV increased by 1.64%.
Among the police reported incidents, 24 family violence homicide incidents led to 25 victims, according to the Connecticut Family Violence 2023 Arrest Report.