| WASHINGTON,
D.C. – Legislation introduced by U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to help women and children flee domestic
violence was approved today by Congress as part of the AMBER Alert conference
report. The President is expected to sign the bill.
The
legislation, which authorizes $30 million for each fiscal year 2004 through
2008, would establish a grant program for transitional housing assistance
for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Transitional
housing resources and services provide a continuum between emergency shelter
provisions and independent living.
“Transitional
housing is often the link between emergency housing and a victim’s ability
to become self-sufficient. The legislation opens the doors to new
opportunities for survivors because, in addition to a roof and a bed, transitional
housing programs also offer supportive services, such as counseling, job
training, access to education, and child care,” Schakowsky said.
“These
tools are critical to allowing women to get back on their feet and to be
able to support their children in a home that is free from violence,” Schakowsky
added.
Schakowsky
first introduced transitional housing legislation in 1999. The House
of Representatives has repeatedly authorized transitional housing assistance
for victims of abuse – in 2000 as part of the Victims of Trafficking and
Violence Protection Act and in 2002 and 2003 as part of the Keeping Families
and Children Safe Act. |
