In Illinois, domestic violence survivors continue to seek shelter in alarming numbers, with the state’s hotline experiencing a significant increase in requests over the past year.
According to a recent report released by The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, calls, texts, and messages to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline have soared, now more than doubling pre-pandemic levels.
The surge in contacts is primarily driven by an overwhelming demand for safe housing, which shelters are struggling to provide.
Tessa Kuipers of Family Rescue, which operates a shelter on the South Side of Chicago, reported a concerning lack of available beds, stating that just this week, she was unable to find accommodations for three families in need.
“(They) are either staying on family members’ floors or in police stations or homeless shelters or their cars right now, simply because there has not been domestic violence shelter in or around the city for the past 48 hours,” Kuipers said.
The situation has reached critical levels, with the report revealing that last year in Chicago alone, there were 130 days when no beds or cribs were available in domestic violence shelters.
This crisis is even more pronounced in the surrounding suburbs, where no shelter beds were available for 173 days in 2024.
Shelby Hoffman Binder of The Network emphasized that when survivors are turned away from shelter, they are placed in dangerous situations.
“When a survivor is turned away from shelter, they’re facing an incredibly high risk,” Hoffman Binder explained.
“Survivors seek help for a reason; they’re in danger. When they brave enough to ask for help, we need to meet their needs and provide the resources they deserve.”
The Network’s statistics underscore the growing demand for assistance, with 59,704 total contacts to the hotline in 2024, marking a 26% increase from 2023 and a staggering 140% rise compared to 2019.
Furthermore, calls from Chicago have also risen for the second consecutive year, with the hotline receiving 18,830 contacts from the city alone—a 17% increase from 2023 and a 78% increase since 2019.
The South Chicago, South Deering, and East Side neighborhoods reported the highest volume of calls, highlighting areas of particular concern.
Experts note that increased awareness of available programs and media coverage of high-profile domestic violence cases have contributed to the uptick in calls.
“Any time those kinds of cases are covered, they can serve as a prompt and a reminder to survivors in the community of what’s at stake,” Hoffman Binder stated.
However, the primary driver behind the increase in calls remains Chicago’s ongoing shelter crisis.
Survivors often call multiple times in search of help; when beds are consistently unavailable, it leads to repeat calls.
“We’re seeing those beds so often unavailable, a survivor isn’t just calling once, they’re calling seven times, perhaps over the course of a week, to access shelter,” Hoffman Binder noted.
The hotline reported a record-breaking 18,940 requests for shelter in the past year alone, suggesting that the issue is not confined to one area but prevalent statewide.
While shelters in central and southern Illinois tend to have more available beds, accessibility remains an issue due to distances and lack of transportation options for survivors.
In an effort to mitigate this crisis, The Network operates a Crisis Housing Program designed to provide temporary hotel stays for survivors.
This program assisted 670 survivors with hotel accommodations last year and accounted for nearly $800,000 in housing costs.
However, this support is reliant on funding from state and city sources, which poses a challenge for the future as funding from the American Rescue Plan Act is set to conclude.
“We hope to see at least level funding as we move through these challenging budget seasons,” Hoffman Binder said.
“Our goal is to continue meeting the growing demand, because survivors deserve help when they’re brave enough to ask.”
image source from：https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2025/06/12/calls-to-the-illinois-domestic-violence-hotline-were-up-again-in-2024
