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The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
Victims of domestic violence in the Nashville area are currently at risk of not having a safe space to go as the city faces a shortage of beds at emergency shelters.
Domestic violence survivor Mary Jones spoke with Fox17, expressing the importance of having those spaces available for those women and children looking to escape potentially dangerous situations. She is asking city leaders to help fulfill the needs.
She told of leaving her abusive situation in Texas and going to the YWCA in Tennessee as a safe haven.
“From there it was life changing,” Jones said, “The YWCA gave us the support we needed in regard to having a safe place to be.”
Currently, both the YWCA and AGAPE’s Morning Star Sanctuary are both at capacity. The YWCA has 65 beds, and the Morning Star Sanctuary has 29.
According to Taylor Lopez, Director of Domestic Violence Services for AGAPE Nashville, federal cuts have pushed the organization to doing outside fundraisers just to keep those beds open. Those budget cuts, along with the growing population in the area, have led to the increasing difficulty of having the space to offer to victims.
Governor Bill Lee allocated $20 million in the state’s budget towards services for domestic violence victims, but advocates say more may be needed.
Lopez says they are working on expanding their facilities, but those projects will take time to complete.
