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Pandemic racks up hidden costs for Connecticut domestic violence agencies

Related Topics: Connecticut, Mary-Jane Foster

Not only is domestic violence up during the pandemic, but providing emergency help for victims has become far more costly and difficult, according to experts in Connecticut.

Emergency shelters can’t operate at full capacity because of social distancing precautions, so every night dozens of endangered spouses and their children are housed in hotels across the state.

That system protects them from further abuse, but adds a hefty expense for nonprofits that rely on government funding and foundation grants for most of their budget, experts said.

“Since last spring, we’ve had to use emergency assistance money — hoteling means everything is more.