PHOENIX — There is a heartbreaking reality in Phoenix’s homelessness crisis: Many homeless women say they are victims of domestic violence.

This Domestic Violence Awareness Montha woman from Valea says she survived both.

Leticia River and her two children live in a comfortable apartment.

“It’s comfortable!” she said.

They also have a new puppy.

“He’s so friendly,” Rivera said.

However, just two years ago, the family was stuck in a domestic violence situation.

“It destroys a family, down to the parents, down to the children,” Rivera said. “That was my main reason for getting away, because I didn’t want the cycle to repeat itself.”

When Rivera left her partner in 2022, the home was up in the air.

“We didn’t want them to know where we were,” Rivera said. “I stayed for a while at a friend’s house, friends and co-workers.”

She’s not alone: ​​40 percent of homeless women in Phoenix cite domestic violence as a contributing factor, according to the report Maricopa Association of Governments.

“When people have to leave their homes for safety, that creates homelessness,” said Jenna Panas, CEO of ACESDV.

The state has the attention of the Arizona Coalition Stop sexual and domestic violence. Now, they are worried about a The decision of the Supreme Court this summer in the case of City of Grants Pass V. Johnson.

The ruling allows cities to arrest and fine homeless people for sleeping in public. Panas fears it criminalizes homelessness and harms survivors of domestic violence.

“This would mean that victims of domestic violence, who have nowhere else to go, will be subject to police-mandated harassment, which is re-victimization,” Panas said.

For Rivera, things turned around after he connected with Save the Family Arizona Foundation.

The nonprofit hosts participants for free, but they pay $500 a month to get support services. Once they finish the one-year program, they get all that money back.

“Those support services help them get a higher-level job. They help them with the budget and financial elements, with education programs for youth, children and parents,” said Robyn Julien, CEO of Save The Family. “Eighty percent of our families, upon successful completion of our programs, obtain affordable housing. Permanent residence.”

In December, Rivera is set to graduate from the program and embark on a new path.

“I’m actually coming out of Save the Family into permanent housing,” she said. “Nice little Christmas present!”

It’s a path she hopes will inspire her children.

“When kids see that parent keep going and pushing, it’s very beneficial to them,” Rivera said. “So I think they are good. They are happy.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can call National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 (SAFE) or you can call 211 to be connected to local services.