My father honored me with my first allowance of $5.00 in 1976 when I was seven years old. I felt like it was burning a hole in my hand. However, it came with conditions, including chores and lectures of “Don’t spend it all in one place.” As I grew older, my allowance increased along with conversations with my dad about the dynamics of economics, such as investments and wages, and who decides how our tax dollars are allocated and to whom. “Remember, America selectively chooses who gets taxpayer subsidies and contracts,” he often said. His lessons still hold true today. America selectively chooses who receives financial relief. Often the recipients are not survivors of domestic violence, but they need to be included in rescue plans.
Throughout history, infrastructure has been built for economic security, yet it is essential that systems and infrastructures support domestic violence (DV) survivors as well. These survivors need subsidies and financial assistance, having found themselves under economic threats, through no fault of their own.
In 99% of intimate partner violence/domestic violence cases in the state of California, for example, survivors are subject to economic abuse by their abuser by having taken control of their finances, including depleting the survivor’s bank accounts, controlling their wages, and incurring debts in their name without the survivor’s knowledge or consent (known as “coerced and fraudulent debt.”). As a result of such fiscal abuse, the survivor’s financial independence and stability are threatened. Approximately 98% of survivors remain in abusive relationships or return to them for these reasons.
Housing insecurity is also four times more common among women who have experienced domestic violence in California; 1,960 victims of intimate partner violence went to emergency shelters, 819 lived in transitional housing, and 7,996 were unsheltered.
The ability to access safe, permanent housing is the key to building pathways for economic opportunities, such as education, career preparation, and business ventures. As a domestic violence survivor, I can attest to how this new footing resulted in my resuming my collegiate studies and earning my master’s degree. As a result of these accomplishments, I earned higher salaries, grew professionally, and saved and invested for retirement. As a Black woman, I finally felt the embodiment of economic independence.
Regardless of social class, domestic violence affects 85% of women. This reality contributes to multiple crises outside of economic security, including public health, education, and mental health. According to a report by the Blue Shield of California Foundation, 42.5% of Black women in the state have experienced intimate partner violence, compared to 34.9% of all women. In 2024, California was expected to receive between $105 and $132 million in federal domestic violence funding. That amount was reduced by 43% from the $153.8 million allocated in 2023. Fines and penalties from federal convictions fund this program, not taxes. Intimate partner violence (IPV) costs the state of California approximately $73.7 billion annually The cost of DV and IPV exceeds the allocation. A clear indication is that more subsidies are required. DV survivors must be able to participate vigorously in the economy through sustainable infrastructure development.
Yes, it is helpful that the US government is able to select companies, industries and corporations to rescue when crises occur. But it is time for policymakers to also assist DV survivors by rewriting the narrative to create an economic future that assists their economic security as well.
About the Author: Adrienne N. Spires is CEO of Lapis Analytic Consulting, a Public Voices Fellow on Domestic Violence and Economic Security with The OpEd Project and author of Roaring Resilience: Finding Grit in the Lion’s Den.
