What You Can Do for Battered Women

Some of the actions you can take on behalf of the needs of battered women and their families are:

  • Participate in Planning Processes. The federal government requires local citizen participation in planning how most of the funding for low-income housing should be distributed. There are great opportunities to bring the voice of battered women to the planning processes:
    • Continuum of Care (CoC). Minnesota organizations receive approximately $20 million per year through the CoC process. The State is divided into 13 CoC regions which convene meetings of local organizations to 1) assess the housing and shelter needs in the community, 2) set goals, and 3) rank applications for funding.
    • Consolidated Plan (ConPlan). The ConPlan merges into one process and one document all the planning, application, and performance requirements of four HUD Block Grants. States, large cities, and urban counties that get Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG), HOME Investment Partnership Grants, or Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) Grants must have ConPlans. Additionally, applications for 17 other HUD programs much show the funded projects are consistent with the ConPlan. Jurisdictions develop ConPlans every five years and must update them regularly.
    • Public Housing Authorities (PHAs). PHAs are required to complete annual and five-year plans detailing many aspects of their housing programs including who is assisted how the programs will be administered. Advocates should monitor the development of their local PHA’s annual and five-year plan.
  • Network with Local Housing Providers. Local programs across Minnesota have developed creative partnerships with their local transitional housing programs, supportive housing programs, housing authorities, and community action programs. If you haven’t developed relationships with these service providers in your area, please do.
  • Advocate at the State and Federal Level. The Housing Resources section of this guide will help you familiarize yourself with various programs and provide you with opportunities for action. Consider also signing up for regular legislative action alerts and updates from organizations working on these issues, including:
  • Educate the Public and Other Advocacy Groups. Writing a letter to the editor of your local paper is often the fastest way to reach the greatest number of people. Meeting with the editorial board of your local paper to educate the board and to bring their attention to the housing needs of battered women is central to having them present the news accurately.
  • Remember to Advocate for Children, Too. As part of the No Child Left Behind Act, passed in 2001, every school district in the state is required to have a homeless education liaison to make sure that homeless and at-risk students have access to the services available to them. Get to know the liaisons in your area.

For more information about these strategies, or if you want to invite elected officials to visit your program to learn more about the work you do, contact Liz Kuoppala at (218) 744-2098 or kuoppala@yahoo.com.