INDIANAPOLIS — Domestic violence is worse in Indiana than elsewhere in the country, and in Indianapolis, it’s getting worse. In Indiana, 42.5% of women report having experienced domestic violence in their lifetimes, the fifth highest percentage in the country.
“Domestic violence is a community problem, and we need community support to help families heal and break the cycle,” says Coburn Place President and CEO Rachel Scott. “We know transitional housing is the most critical thing survivors need to move forward after experiencing homelessness due to domestic violence. It works. But we do not have enough funding.”
Together with Merchants Bank of Indiana, Coburn Place is raising $100,000 for survivors who live in transitional housing in their historic building on 38th Street. Merchants is matching gifts dollar-for-dollar up to $50,000, so donors can double their impact. Allstate has donated $10,000 to the campaign.
Domestic violence pushes women and children into housing instability. Up to 57 percent of unhoused women cite domestic violence as the immediate cause, with 38 percent of all survivors experiencing homelessness at some point in their lives due to domestic violence.
Coburn Place offers survivors 35 private, fully furnished apartments — studios, two-bedrooms and three-bedrooms — which are rent- and utility-free for up to two years. The average stay is 15 to 16 months.
All money raised in the Safe Home, Fresh Start campaign will go toward getting apartments ready for new families, helping them stay maintained, and offering the life-changing programs families need to move forward. Give at coburnplace.org/freshstart.