Quarterly Newsletter | March 2022
Dear Friends of Women’s Advocates,
This time of year make me reflect on how fortunate many of us are to have safe, stable housing that keeps us warm during these last weeks of a long winter. For so many victim/survivors of domestic violence and their families, finding housing is a continual challenge. A recent study in the Star-Tribune indicates that the Twin Cities has the worst housing shortage in the country. That is why I’m so proud of the strides Women’s Advocates has taken to make sure victim/survivors leaving our shelter find and keep stable housing. We now have three full-time Housing Stability Advocates on staff, working hand-in-hand with survivors in our program to find them safe housing. In the past four years, we have increased the capacity of our housing program by 225%. This means more survivors can find safety and solace in homes of their own, away from their abusers, where they can build new lives for themselves.

With gratitude,
Estelle Brouwer | Executive Director
For those of you who have already joined our team, thank you! For those of you who haven't, it's not too late to join us in getting active to win a grand prize donation of $30,000 for victim/survivors! For all of March, every mile of activity earns our team points towards winning. Miles for Meaning is a free way to help Women’s Advocates, with an opportunity to make a donation or help raise money too! Make your miles truly matter this month by joining our team today.

Getting involved is easy!

  1. Download the Kilter app here: https://kilterrewards.page.link/appstore
  2. Find the Miles for Meaning event and join team by searching: "Advocates"
  3. Connect your fitness device or app and let the tracking begin!


Q&A: Finding Housing Stability After DV

with Nisha Townsend,
Housing Stability Advocate
What barriers do victim/survivors face when searching for housing and how do you help them overcome those as a Housing Stability Advocate? 
One of the most common barriers I see as a Housing Stability Advocate is not having stability or longevity in a residence after leaving an abusive or violent situation. This impacts the search for housing severely because most landlords or property managers want to see that people can and will pay their rent. In our Housing Stability program, we help remove those barriers by talking about how to communicate with your landlord and how to be a good tenant/neighbor. We never want survivors to hide their past experiences, but we help them find a way to talk about them and the change that has been made since then.
What is the biggest misconception about finding housing in the Twin Cities?
That the search would be easy! Many people from shelter recently received Section 8 vouchers. This was absolutely amazing but finding landlords who take Section 8 was not easy. Victim/survivors often find so many barriers after getting their voucher, such as having to move further out to an area that doesn’t have a bus line when they have no vehicle or where they would be secluded from family, friends, and their support system.
Share a story about a housing success!
I worked with a woman in shelter who realized how much she depended on her partner for everything and was being financially abused. She ended up getting a real estate license before leaving shelter and finding a rental— an amazing achievement! While I was working with her, she made her first sale and was so excited about her commission check that was on the way. She cried tears of joy because she realized all she had been through, from leaving her previous home and abuser, to staying in a shelter with her child, to getting her real estate license, to moving out of shelter, and she knew it was finally possible that she could be financially independent.
Experiencing relationship abuse
and need support?

We're here for you at Pop-Up Advocacy,
every Tuesday from 11:00am-3:00pm at
Rondo Community Library!

We offer:
  • Welcoming, trained advocates with safety resources and brochures. 
  • Advocates ready to listen to your story and support you in getting what you need.
  • Private rooms to connect with an advocate privately 1-1 are available upon request.
  • We can help you make a plan for your safety, write up documents to break your lease, connect you to help with filing protective orders, and more!

Reach out to resources@wadvocates.org with any questions or for more information!
Exciting news... We have a great opportunity available for a leader in our organization as a Director of Housing Stability Services!

Are you passionate in your belief that all people deserve access to safe and affordable housing? Please share, apply, and learn more about this exciting position here!
Have you voted for us through Target Circle? If not, there’s still time! You can help direct Target’s giving to benefit our organization and the community.

Sign up for Target Circle on the Target app or at target.com/circle, earn votes for each purchase made online or in-store, and cast your votes for Women’s Advocates!
Women's Advocates walks with victim/survivors and our community to break the cycle of domestic violence.
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