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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Constance Collins-Lotus House and Petition Information#TIMESUP: IMPOVERISHED WOMEN AND CHILDREN NEED SHELTER -.org 8,140 have signed! , Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk Tell our government officials — more funding for emergency shelter and supportive services for women and children is needed! Violence is a leading cause of homelessness for women. Women young and old, who are homeless and alone, survive by being invisible. Staying awake through the night out of fear, they sleep on buses and in airports, hospitals, abandoned buildings, backyards and alleyways in a desperate attempt to find shelter each night without being detected. They are forced to bathe in public restrooms and eat from garbage cans to go unnoticed. But of course, they cannot hide forever, especially from predators. Physically vulnerable, women and youth without a place to stay are at heightened risk of sexual assault, human trafficking and violence in its many forms. All too often, impoverished women and their children are forced to remain in abusive relationships, because they lack a safe place to go. Tonight, hundreds of women and children in our community need supportive emergency shelter and supports to take back their lives. And yet, Lotus House, one of the largest shelters in the country for women and children, is forced to leave more than 150 beds empty tonight, because we lack sufficient funding. Please sign the petition to urge our government officials to provide more funding for life saving supportive shelter at Lotus House! Lotus House currently shelters 400 women and children nightly in our new home, Lotus Village, with additional capacity to shelter up to 550. 959/0 of the women we shelter report histories of violence, many starting with victimization as children. This includes the following harrowing statistics: *72% of our mothers report a history of domestic violence, sexual assault or violent crime. *67% of mothers report being sexually molested, abused or neglected in their childhoods — because violence against women is intergenerational. Shelters must be trauma -informed and address the unique needs of women and their children who have survived violence in order to break the cycle. This requires the supports that Lotus House provides: intensive child and family therapies, access to physical, medical, dental, and mental health care, educational assistance, job readiness training, child care, even arts and activities, so women and children can heal and rebuild their lives. Without money to help fund these beds and supportive services, women and children will be forced to continue to survive by being invisible, suffering violence, abuse, hunger, mental health issues and continued homelessness. Please sign this petition and let our government officials know it is time to step forward, show they care by providing more funding for this important resource for women and children who are victims of violence. You can make a difference by sponsoring a woman or child at Lotus House for just $9 a month. Learn more about Lotus House and how you can help. (Donations to Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House are deductible to the full extent allowable under /RC 501c3 (Lotus House tax id # 81-0652266). A copy of the official registration and financial information (Lotus House #CH17660) filed with the State of Florida may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll free 800-436-7352 within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state.) 6294-Submittal-Constance Collins -Lotus House and Petition Information OVER 6 OOO SIGNATURES IN JUST ONE MONTH! Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk Reasons for signing Clara Jones Lotus House helped me break the cycle of Homelessness and changed my life. Lisa Romano Lotus House saved my life. They took me in. They treated me with love, respect, dignity and compassion. Lotus House has become family to me. I Love giving back to Lotus House because I want other women and children to have the same Awesome experience that I did. I Totally Love Lotus House. Kaitlyn Carril Lotus House is a great shelter that provides amazing services for women and children who genuinely care for these people. It needs to be accessible for every woman and child who needs their care. Ivette Clements Lotus house helped me in multiple ways. They provided therapy for me and my daughter we are blessed to say today we are now in a safe home. We couldn't have done it without Lotus House? This not only a homeless shelter but a place we now have a family that loves and cares so much about our lives! Thanks Lotus Ellen Bowen I am signing in support of more safe shelters for women and children like the amazing Lotus House in Miami. Brooke Roberts -Webb Sign the petition to help the most vulnerable in our community. Marya Meyey Lotus House and their residents are vital change makers in our community. It is unfathomable that this cutting edge organization not be fully, and immediately, supported to full capacity. Domestic Violence is A Public Health Crisis And A Lead Cause of Homelessness for Women and Children Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk For the period of 1999-2017 (awaiting 2018 fatality review), there were 1028 "domestic violence related"1 deaths in Miami -Dade County, Miami -Dade County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team from Medical Examiner Source Data In 2017, over 10% of all homicides in Miami -Dade County were "domestic violence related" homicides. Miami Dade County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team Breakdown of Homicide and Suicide Death Statistics. from Medical Examiner Source Data For the period 2008-2018, there were 106,706 reported domestic violence offenses in Miami -Dade County, including at least 247 murders/manslaughters, 2,871 forcible sex offenses, 22,532 aggravated assaults/stalking, and 81,056 other assaults and domestic violence related crimes. Florida Uniform Crime Report, Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Miami accounts for over one quarter of all domestic violence related crimes. For the same period 2008-2018 in the City of Miami, there were 27,511 reported domestic violence offenses in Miami, including 49 murders, 51 forcible sex offenses, 49 aggravated assaults/stalking, and 20,371 other assaults and domestic violence related crimes. Florida Uniform Crime Report; Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Many more domestic violence crimes go unreported. The US Census estimated Miami -Dade County 2018 population area at 2.7 Million people. Miami -Dade metropolitan area is estimated to be the 4th largest in the nation, with an estimated 5.5 million people, http://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/miami-population/ Miami Dade County has only 3 certified domestic violence centers with a total countywide capacity of only 164 beds and 28 cribs. Miami -Dade County Domestic Violence Oversight Board A fourth domestic violence center slated to be built (not yet permitted) with the one cent Food and Beverage taxes will add only 60 beds, making the total countywide capacity approximately 224 beds and 28 cribs. Miarni-Dade County Domestic Violence Oversight Board Without an increase, the current Food and Beverage Taxes are not projected to be sufficient for construction of a fifth domestic violence center until 2035. Miami -Dade County Office of Management and Budget; Miami -Dade County Domestic Violence Oversight Board Since October 2016 when this data was tracked through April 2019, Safe Space turned away 2179 people seeking shelter. Miami -Dade County Domestic Violence Oversight Board An important study prepared for the National institute of Justice by the National Resource Center on ❑omestic Violence, surveying domestic violence survivors and services in eight states, concluded that that without access to shelter, the consegmences for victims ' A domestic violence related death in one where the relationship between the victim and perpetrator is that of current or former spouse. family members (including those related by current or former marriage), persons presently or formerly in a romantic or intimate relationship (regardless of whether they have resided together in the past or present), or involving any significant others of persons presently or formerly in a romantic or intimate relationship. Additionally, this definition includes child deaths that result from abuse involving family violence and are ruled a homicide. Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk are "dire: homelessness, serious losses including children, continued abuse or death, or actions taken in desperation....[Djomestic violence shelters address compelling needs that survivors cannot meet elsewhere. Shelter programs provide a complex array of services to victims of abuse and their children; most prominent are safety, information help with children and help with emotional distress." Lyon,E., Lane, S. & Menard, A. (2008). Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi -State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences. Washington, DC: National institute of Justice. See: https://www_ nc}rs. gov/pdffiles !/n/grants/225025.pdf. Domestic violence is a lead cause of homelessness for women and children nationally. According to multiple studies examining the causes of homelessness, among mothers with children, more than 80% had experienced domestic violence. Family & Youth Services Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, numerous citations. See: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/fysb/resource/dv-homelessness-stafs-2016. Approximately one homeless woman in four is homeless mainly because of her experiences with violence. Jasinslri, J.L., Wesely, J.K., Mustaine, E. & Wright, J.D. (2005, November). The Experience of Violence in the Lives of Homeless Women: A Research Report. Washington, DC: Nation& institute of Justice. From 2013 to date, more than 15,800 Miami -Dade residents who received homeless emergency shelter and other housing assistance reported fleeing domestic violence. Miami - Dade County Homeless Trust data. The program data of the Lotus House Women's Shelter, which exclusively serves women and children county -wide, indicates an estimated 98% of sheltered women at their center are fleeing domestic violence, have domestic violence histories and/or are victims of violence and other serious traumas. Sundari Foundation, inc. dba Lotus House Women's Shelter Until such time as there is sufficient domestic violence center capacity (no time in the foreseeable future), the county -wide homeless system and in particular, emergency shelters for women and children who are victims of domestic violence are carrying the overflow and should be adequately resourced to address the special needs of domestic violence victims. More general funding is needed to support additional shelter and supportive services for domestic violence victims in our community. Miami needs to dedicate new and additional streams of revenue and resources, above and beyond the Food and Beverage Taxes, to address the domestic violence public health crisis facing our community, including first and foremost, to increase shelter capacity and supportive services for victims of domestic violence. Statistics Summary Prepared by: Lotus House Women's Shelter Constance Collins, President 305-613-1573 constance(@,lotushouse.org 2 Domestic Violence Homicide Facts Facts from the Miami -Dade County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team. • More than twice as many women are killed by their husbands or boyfriends than are murdered by strangers. Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk • Firearms are frequent weapons leading to mortality rates of women killed by their spouses, boyfriends or others. • Having a gun in the home makes it three times more likely that you or someone you care about will be murdered by a family member or intimate partner. The effects of firearm -related domestic violence last tong beyond the actual crime. Research on child witnesses of marital violence indicates that children who observed incidents of domestic violence involving the use or threat of a firearm exhibited higher levels of behavior problems than children who did not. • Each year, an estimated 3.3 million children are exposed to violence by family members against their mothers or female caretakers. In homes where partner abuse occurs, children are 1,500 times more likely to be abused. • 40-EO% of men who abuse women also abuse children. • One study revealed that 27% of domestic homicide victims were children. When children are killed during a domestic dispute, 90% are under age 10, and 56% are under age 2. https://www.judilficourts.orgMiami-Dade-Com The National Domestic Violence Public Health Crisis National Statistics from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 10 Million people a year are physically abused by an intimate partner. in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intirnated partner physical violence, intimated partner contact sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking with impacts 3 Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk such as injury, fearfulness, post -traumatic stress disorder, use of victim services contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, etc. On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide 20% of women in the United States have been raped. 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the United States have been raped in their lifetime. 1 in 3 female murder victims and 1 in 20 male murder victims are killed by intimate partners. 72% of all murder -suicides involve an intimate partner; 94% of the victims of these murder -suicides are female. Domestic victimization is correlated with higher rates of depression and suicidal behavior. Victims of intimate partner violence lose a total of 8 Million days of paid work each year, the equivalent of 32,000 full-time jobs. - The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $8.3 billion per year. See: https://ncadv.org National Statistics from the National Domestic Violence Hotline: r A child witnesses violence in 22°I° (nearly 1 in 4) of intimate partner violence cases filed in state courts. 30%-60% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse children in the household. There is a common link between domestic violence and child abuse. Among victims of child abuse, 40% report domestic violence in the home. One study in North America found that children who were exposed to violence in the home were 15 times more likely to be physically and/or sexually assaulted than the national average. The U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect suggests that domestic violence may be the single major precursor to child abuse and neglect fatalities in this country. See.. https://www.thehotline.org/resources/statistics 4 c74 where hope blossoms 41.4Prthe sundari foundation, inc. Trauma/Domestic Violence Statistics January 1, 2018 - July 15, 2019 Sheltered Lotus House falls squarely at the intersection of domestic violence and homelessness. Our data from the last 18 months shows: Total Adult Guests in Shelter: 724 27%0 Hispanic; 66% Black; 5% White; 2% Other (American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander) • 30% 18-24; 61% 25-59; 5%© 60-64; 4°/0 65+ • 13% LGBTQIA+ History of Trauma: 721 (99%) History of Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence: 456 (63%) Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk Victim of Other Violent Crime: 459 (63%) (e.g., non -DV related violent crimes, including sexual trauma, assault, robbery, and others, resulting in multiple levels of victimization) Human Trafficking: 19 (2%) Childhood History of Abuse: 492 (68%) ▪ Childhood History of Sexual Abuse: 331 (46%) • Childhood History of Physical Abuse: 301 (42%) • Childhood History of Psychological Abuse: 318 (44%) • Childhood History of Neglect: 238 (33%) Number of Children Accompanying Adult Guests: 700 • 68% 0-5; 20% 6-10; 12% 11-17 Exits 80%+ positive exits to housing since January 1, 2018 217 nw 15th street avertown miami flarida 33136 . t; 305.438-0556 F: 305-438-0557 , latushauseshelfer.arg 44tollef 4CCrIAft<F=hope blossoms the sundari foundation, inc. Unmet Requests for Assistance Daily, too numerous to track without additional resources Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk 217 nw 15th street . overtawn . miami Florida . 33136 _ t: 305-438-0556 . F: 305.438-0557 lotushausesheiter,org where hope blossoms the sundari foundation, inc. September 4, 2019 Via Hand Delivery and Email Esteemed Chair Ken Russell, Vice Chair Wifredo Gort, Keen Hardemon. Joe Carollo and Menala Reyes City of Miami Commission 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, Florida 33133 Dear Commissioners, Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk On behalf of the Lotus House Women's Shelter, we implore your favorable consideration of our proposal to provide supportive shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness who are victims of domestic or intimate partner violence, trafficking, violent crimes, abuse and/or other domestic violence related incidents. Statistics show domestic violence is a public health crisis in our community. Domestic violence is deadly and the lead cause of homelessness for women and children. Safe, supportive shelter is essential for victims_ allowing women and children to leave their abusers, reclaim their lives. and build the foundation for brighter futures. There is a severe shortage of shelter beds and supportive services for victims of violence in our community, both in the near and long term foreseeable future. The attached proposal and statistics explain more. In the absence of shelter, many women are forced to remain in abusive relationships, suffer deep losses and place their lives and those of their children at risk. In response to the urgent unmet need for supportive shelter for victims, Lotus House is asking for partial funding to provide 53 beds to shelter women, youth and children experiencing homelessness who are victims of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, trafficking, violent crimes, abuse and/or other domestic violence related incidents, at a per diem rate of $23.501night per person. as described in the attached proposal. This funding from the City for 53 beds equals $450,000 annually from general funds and would provide 19,149 shelter bed nights on an annual basis and will be leveraged with charitable contributions and grants to cover the full cost, which is double the proposed amount. While Lotus House already serves as a direct access point for victims of domestic violence in the homeless continuum, this funding would open up access to shelter beds for victims referred directly by the City's police department, the Lodge, Safe Space, the Coordinated Victims Assistance Center and other victims services agencies, as well as the Department of Children and Families and the family courts - all of whom regularly seek victims' assistance. in this proposal, the City has the ability to leverage the recent $28 Million private philanthropic capital investment of Lotus Village Development, LLC, creating additional shelter capacity for the Lotus House Women's Shelter, to provide immediate assistance to Miami's victims of domestic violence. Recognizing victims cannot wait for solutions because lives are at stake, in this public private partnership with Lotus House, together, we have a way to creatively provide important new resources to save and change lives for a safer, brighter future for women and children in need in our community. We are respectfully asking for your support for these urgently violence in your budget deiiberations. We will be reaching out good wishes, Sincerely, stance Collins, Executive Director Lotus House Women's Shelter cc: The Honorable Mayor Francis Suarez City Manager Emilio Gonzalez Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk needed resources for victims of to meet with you personally. All Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk More Shelter With Supportive Services Is Urgently Needed For Victims of Domestic Violence The Need — Domestic Violence is a Public Health Crisis The statistics show domestic violence is a public heath crisis in our community. Over the period of 2008-2018, there were 108,70E reported domestic violence offenses in Miami -Dade County, including at least 247 murderslmanslaughters, 2,871 forcible sex offenses, 22,532 aggravated assauttslstalking, and 81,05E other assaults and domestic violence related crimes.' For the same period 2008-2018 in the City of Miami, there were 27,511 reported domestic violence offenses in Miami, including 49 murders, 51 forcible sex offenses, 49 aggravated assaults/stalking, and 20,371 other assaults and domestic violence related crimes. Many more domestic violence crimes go unreported. Domestic violence is deadly. For the period of 1999-2017 (awaiting 2018 fatality review), there were 1028 "domestic violence related" 3 deaths in Miami -Dade County.¢ In 2017, over 1 Q% of all homicides in Miami -Dade County were "domestic violence related" homicides.5 Domestic violence is also a lead cause of homelessness for women and children. According to multiple studies examining the causes of homelessness, among mothers with children, more than 80% had experienced domestic violence.s Approximately one homeless woman in four is homeless mainly because of her experiences with violence.' From 2013 to date, more than 15,800 Miami -Dade residents who received homeless emergency shelter and other housing assistance reported fleeing domestic violence.8 Solutions - Shelter and Supportive Services Are Life Saving 1 Florida Uniform Crime Report, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Upon review, the Miami -Dade County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team determined the number of homicides for 2008-2017 was 332, with an additional 127 domestic violence related suicides. 2018 Fatality Review Team analysis has not been received. 2 Ibid. 3 A domestic violence related death in one where the relationship between the victim and perpetrator is that of current or former spouse, family members (including those related by current or former marriage), persons presently or formerly in a romantic or intimate relationship (regardless of whether they have resided together in the past or present), or involving any significant others of persons presently or formerly in a romantic or intimate relationship. Additionally, this definition includes child deaths that result from abuse involving family violence and are ruled a homicide. Miami -Dade County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team from Medical Examiner Source Data 5 Miami Dade County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team Breakdown of Homicide and Suicide Death Statistics, from Medical Examiner Source Data; Florida Uniform Crime Report, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, County and Medical Offense Data, 2017 5 Family & Youth Services Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, numerous citations. See: https://www,acf.hhs.gov/fysb/resource/dv-homelessness-stats-2016. Jasinski, J.L., Wesely, J.K., Mustaine, E. & Wright, J.D. (2005, November). The Experience of Violence in the Lives of Homeless Women: A Research Report. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice. 8 Miami -Dade County Homeless Trust data, 2013 to August, 2018. Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk An important study prepared for the National Institute of Justice by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, surveying domestic violence survivors and services in eight states, concluded that; "domestic violence shelters serve a critical need for people who have experienced abuse. The survivors who turn to domestic violence shelter programs have limited to no safe, supportive alternatives to their shelter stay. Without access to shelter, the survivors report that their situations would be dire: they would face substantial loss or continued abuse."' For many, such shelters are "life-saving."1° Without access to shelter, the consequences for victims are "homelessness, serious fosses including children, continued abuse or death, or actions taken in desperation.,..[D]omestic violence shelters address compelling needs that survivors cannot meet elsewhere. Shelter programs provide a complex array of services to victims of abuse and their children; most prominent are safety, information help with children and help with emotional distress." More Shelter Beds and Supportive Services are Urgently Needed Domestic violence centers and services have historically been funded by the County's general funds and the Food and Beverage Tax (15°A of the one cent tax collected is slated for construction and operations), as well as various grants and charitable donations. At this date, Miami Dade County has 3 certified domestic violence centers with a total county- wide capacity of approximately 164 beds and 28 cribs for 2.7 Million people.'2 Since October 201E when this data was tracked through April 2019, Safe Space turned away 2179 people seeking shelter.'' The Lotus House Wonmen's Shelter is likewise forced regularly to turn away women and children in need. Though it has additional shelter capacity, it needs additional funding for shelter beds and supportive services. With proceeds from the Food and Beverage Tax, a fourth domestic violence center is slated to be built at a cost of $16.2 Million which will add 60 new beds. Upon completion, the new center will bring the total county -wide capacity to only 224 beds and 28 cribs.'° Given that construction of the fourth center has not yet begun, completion is not anticipated for at least 18 months to two years from now. The current Food and Beverage Taxes are not projected to be sufficient for construction of a fifth domestic violence center until 2035.15 The result is a shortage of shelter beds and supportive services for victims of domestic violence in the City of Miami and Miarni-Dade County both in the near and long term foreseeable future. More shelter beds and supportive services are urgently needed because lives are at stake. Proposal for Additional Lotus House Funding for Victims of Violence 9 Lyon, E., Lane, S. & Menard, A. (October 2008). Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi -State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, p.126 (emphasis added). See: lattps://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1Inlygrants1225025.pdf 1° Lyon, p. 16-17 (emphasis added). II id. p. iv. 12 The population of Miami -Dade County has continued to increase since the last census and the Miami - Dade Metropolitan area is estimated to be the 4T'' largest in the nation, with an estimated 5.5 Million people. http:Avorldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/miami-population Miami -Dade County Domestic Violence Oversight Board 14 2019 Annual Report. Miami Dade County Domestic Violence Oversight Board 15 Miami -Dade County Office of Managernent and Budget: Miami -Dade County Domestic Violence Oversight Board 2 Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk With a proposal in hand from the Lotus House Women's Shelter to provide shelter beds for women, youth and children, the City is able to both leverage private philanthropic dollars and provide immediate much needed additional capacity for women, youth and children experiencing homelessness who are victims of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, trafficking, abuse. violent crimes and/or other domestic violence related incidents. Over $28 Million of philanthropic funds were privately raised to build additional shelter capacity for women and children in the recently completed, state of the art facilities at Lotus Village, home to the Lotus House Women's Shelter. Currently the largest women's shelter in the country, Lotus House has the capacity to shelter up to 490 women and children nightly from across Miami Dade County. Existing contracts in place with Miami -Dade County Homeless Trust, HHS Homeless and Runaway Youth, and the U.S. Veterans Administration provide funding for approximately 350 beds, but Lotus House has the ability to shelter an additional 125+ women and children nightly provided it receives additional partial funding. Though not a certified domestic violence shelter inasmuch as its location is publically available to women in need, virtually all of the sheltered women at their center are fleeing domestic violence, have domestic violence histories and/or are victims of violence, abuse and other serious traumas. Of the 724 women sheltered by Lotus House over the 18-month period ending June 2019, 721 women or 99% had histories of abuse or other traumas, with 456 or 63% victims of domestic or intimate partner violence; and 459 or 63% victims of other violent crimes (e.g., non -DV related violent crimes, including sexual trauma, assault, robbery, and others, resulting in multiple levels of victimization); 19 or 2% victims of human trafficking. 16 They were accompanied by 700 children. Lotus House statistics show another startling factor — the linkages between unresolved childhood abuse, domestic violence and homelessness are clear, highlighting the importance of providing early therapeutic supports for victims. 492 or 68% of those women reported a childhood history of abuse, including: 331 or 46% being sexually abused in their childhoods; 301 or 42% being physically abused; 318 or 44% psychological abuse: and 238 or 33% childhood neglect." A complex array of supportive services are needed for victims of abuse and their children to break the cycle of violence and homelessness, most importantly safe, supportive shelter for women and their children, help for emotional distress, and affordable housing. The trauma- informed shelter and wrap around supports at Lotus House includes universal screening for children, evidence based therapies for victims of violence,18 child and family therapies to rebuild bonds of attachment broken by violence and help resolve trauma, resource coordination, job readiness training and educational supports, assistance with housing and a wide range of other assistance, to help women and children heal, reclaims their lives, and build the foundation for safer, brighter futures. 16 Statistics provided by Sundari Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus Horse Women's Shelter, January 1, 2018- July 15, 2019. 17 Id. 18 on the cutting edge nationally, Lotus House provides universal screening for all children, including: Far Children: Battelle Developmentai inventory Screening Test (Glascoe, 2007), Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (Sachsen, 2016), and Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (Eyberg & Pincus, 1999); For Mothers: Parenting Stress Index 4- SF (Abidin, R.R., 2012), Dyadic Parent -Child Coding System (Eyberg, Nelson. Duke, Boggs, 2004) and Clinical Interview. Evidence based therapeutic supports include: For Children and Families: Child -Parent Psychotherapy; Parent Child interaction Therapy: and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; as well as Triple P Parenting Classes; For Women: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and evidence based groups such as Seeking Safety and Say It Straight. 3 Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk Lotus House has offered to provide 53 beds to shelter women, youth and children experiencing homelessness who are victims of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, trafficking, abuse, violent crimes and/or other domestic violence related incidents, at a per diem rate of $23.50lnight per person.') More beds are available if requested. Funding from the City for 53 beds equals $450,000 annually from general funds and will provide 19,149 shelter bed nights on an annual basis. With an average stay of approximately six months (actual length of stay depends on each person's unique circumstances), this financial support will provide much needed shelter and wrap around supportive services for approximately 100 women, youth and children on an annual basis. While Lotus House already serves as a direct access point for victims of domestic violence in the homeless continuum; this funding could open up access to shelter beds for victims referred directly by Miami's police department, the Lodge, Safe Space, and the Coordinated Victims Assistance Center and other victims services agencies. as well as the Department of Children and Families and the family courts - all of whom regularly seek victims' assistance. Summary — Increased Capacity and Ongoing Support for Victims In this proposal, the County has the ability to leverage recent private philanthropic capital investments creating additional shelter capacity in the Lotus House Women's Shelter, as well as its ongoing charitable fundraising for operations, to provide immediate assistance to Miami victims of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, violent crimes, abuse and/or other domestic violence related incidents leading to homelessness. Recognizing victims cannot wait for solutions because lives are at stake, in this public -private partnership with Lotus House, we have a way to creatively provide important new resources to save and change lives for a safer, brighter future for our entire community. Additional domestic violence statistics are attached. For more Information about Lotus House, see www.lotushouse.crg For additional information. Constance Collins. Executive Director, Sundari Foundation. Inc. dba Lotus House Women's Shelter, constancealotushouse.orq, 305.613.1573 Per diem rate is equal to the existing contracted rates with Miami Dade Homeless Trust and approximately half the actual cost of shelter and supportive services. It is substantially lower than the rates paid by HHS and the Veterans Administration, Lotus House will raise the additional funding needed through grants, corporate sponsorships, and charitable giving. 4 Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk CUR VISION Every homeless woman, youth and child will have the opportunity to heal, learn and grow, build the foundation for a brighter future, and blossom Into who they are truly meant to be. Constance Collins Fxecutive Director and President con stance@lotus hou se. org Sundori Foundation, Inc. dba Lotus House 217 NW 15ih Street Miomi, Florida 33136 c: 305.613.1573 t: 305.438.0556 f: 305.d38.0557 lorushouse.org Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk reak the cycle of childhood abuse, omestic violence, an:d homelessness 'ith a gift of life changing support, )ols, education and resources that eal broken bodies, minds and spirits. P. 1, Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk Submitted into the public record for item(s) BH.21 on 9/12/19. City Clerk Risk more than others think is safe, Dream more than others think is practical, Care more than others think is wise, Desire more than others think is possible... ...and the universe is ours. Sundari Foundation, inc. dba Lotus House 3921 Alton Road, #468, Miami Beach, FL 33140 t 305.438.0556 f 305.438.0557