* From a press release…

Today, The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence is releasing the third volume of its annual data report, Measuring Safety, covering key trends from calls to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline.

Measuring Safety reports assess various systems survivors of gender-based violence engage with to provide a comprehensive overview of survivor needs and systems responses. This volume specifically reviews resources provided and services requested through the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline in 2024.

* Executive summary…

In the five years since pre-pandemic 2019, contact to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline (the Hotline) has more than doubled.

• In 2024, after years of steady growth, the Hotline received 59,704 contacts, a 26% increase in contact from 2023 and a 140% increase from 2019.
• This included increases from Cook County and the City of Chicago, which had seen stagnation in contact from 2019-2022.

Domestic violence shelter remains the number one need among survivors who contact the Hotline and shelter capacity is not able to meet demand.

• The Hotline received a record breaking 18,940 requests for shelter across Illinois in 2024, a 5% increase since 2023 and 112% increase since 2019.
• In Chicago, there were no available beds or cribs in DV shelters for 130 days in 2024.
• The shelter crisis was even more marked in the suburbs where there were no available beds or cribs in DV shelters for 173 days in 2024.

Demand for affordable and transitional housing also continued to skyrocket as shelters remained full.

• In 2024, the Hotline received 2,325 requests for affordable or transitional housing across Illinois, a 77% increase from 2023 and a staggering 383% increase from pre-pandemic 2019.
• Demand also grew locally, with 980 requests for affordable or transitional housing coming from Chicago, a 67% increase from 2023

In recognition of limited service capacity to meet survivor needs, The Hotline continued to expand its own supplemental programming to bridge the gap.

• In 2024, the Hotline provided hotel stays to 1,285 survivors and covering nearly $800,000 in housing costs, nearly 10 times the amount provided in 2023.
• In 2024, the Hotline’s Safe Rides program provided 2,233 rides to 3,456 passengers which was nearly double the number of passengers taken to safety compared to 2023 (94% increase).
• In 2024, the Hotline received 1,873 program requests for interpretation services across Illinois, representing a significant 223% increase compared to 2023 while followed a 241% increase compared to 2022.

Discuss.