Web resource:	http://www.mincava.umn.edu/documents/shelter/shelter.html
Type:	Report
Title:	An evaluation of Minnesota's shelter program for battered women: A report to the Minnesota legislature
Authors:	Coleman, Stephen
Keywords:	Housing
Year:	2001
Publisher:	Minnesota Centre Against Violence and Abuse MINCAVA
Notes:	General Overview:This US report evaluates Minnesota's shelter program for battered women, in order to answer three questions posed by the legislature: what affects the demand for shelter beds, does the state have sufficient shelter capacity and why have costs increased. Discussion: The evaluation provides an overview of Minnesota's shelter system and details its funding arrangements. It finds that Minnesota has a well developed shelter system. In some areas, shelters are frequently full but the Day One computer program can locate available beds in other shelters so that no-one is ever turned away. The recent increase in costs is largely due to an increase in the average length of stay from 15.7 days to 18.7 days. This in turn is likely to be due to the shortage of affordable housing in Minnesota. The evaluation also considers the effectiveness of shelters at reducing violence. Research on this topic is limited but tends to indicate that shelters deter violence, prevent abuse, protect children and are cost effective. The evaluation includes a comparison of spending on refuges between Minnesota, other US states and Canada. The author also considers the criminal justice system and finds that it has little deterrent effect on many abusers. Finally, recommendations are made regarding future funding of Minnesota shelters.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/19203
Physical description:	27 p.
Appears in Collections:	Reports

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