For domestic violence survivors, leaving an unsafe home is rarely the end of their crisis. Often, it precludes a new and urgent question: How do I afford to stay safe?
For one employee of a leading Fortune 500 entertainment industry company, leaving because of domestic violence meant moving into hotel rooms with her daughter. To make matters worse, an unlawful landlord forced them out of their housing. Week after week, almost every dollar she earned went toward keeping a roof over their heads.
The costs of that temporary stability kept growing. Doing laundry was $10 per load. Getting to and from work cost her about $4 each trip. Meanwhile, her storage and phone bills kept piling up.
Although this employee had a real path forward – she was likely to be approved for a low-income apartment near her workplace – like many people facing financial hardship, she couldn't take that step without money she couldn’t save.
Domestic violence and financial security are closely linked. According to the CDC, about 41% of women and 26% of men in the United States experience intimate partner violence during their lifetime. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that nearly 20 people are physically abused by an intimate partner every minute in this country.
The economic toll is staggering. CDC research estimates the lifetime economic burden of intimate partner violence in the United States at nearly $3.6 trillion. That includes medical costs, lost productivity and criminal justice expenses.
For one survivor, those numbers come down to something much smaller and more immediate: tonight's hotel room, a ride to work, a phone bill or a first month's rent.
That's why FreeFrom's research matters. Its leaders make the case that survivors need support reaching beyond the moment of crisis, including economic security, savings and stable housing. Lasting safety depends on financial stability.
For this mother and daughter, her employer’s Emergency Financial Relief program – powered by E4E Relief – bridged the gap between their living in temporary shelter to securing a place of their own.
Soon after she received her financial relief grant, she was able to stay with family members, and she didn't have to spend money on another week in a hotel. Instead, she was able to put it toward the stability she had been working so hard to rebuild.
And, because E4E Relief grantees have the personal agency to allocate their grants as they see fit, she applied the grant to her first month's rent in a new residence. Additionally, her employer gave her a bus pass, so she had a safer and more reliable way to get to work. After weeks of uncertainty, the things that had felt out of reach began to come together: a home, dependable transportation and the ability to keep working. In roughly 83% of domestic violence cases E4E Relief receives, unexpected housing or relocation expenses are incurred by the applicants.
Since 2025 alone, E4E Relief granted over $1.3MM in safe housing and evacuation related expenses to domestic violence survivors, which totaled 528 individuals. So far in 2026, 235 individuals and their dependents have received safe housing and evacuation assistance, and a total of 427 grants have been awarded with an average grant of $2,611 (that average is 13% higher than the average amount awarded for all other hardship events).
In her own words, the difference wasn't abstract. It was safety:
"This fund almost quite literally saved my life. By the grace of some luck, I was able to stay with family the same week I received my fund. This allowed me to save it and not have to spend it on another week of hotels. I was able to turn around and use it as first month's rent... I am able to get to and from work, safely, quickly, comfortably and it is due to this fund. It was just enough to get me safe and I'm very grateful."
During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, this employee’s story is a reminder that leaving an unsafe situation and finding lasting safety are not always the same thing. Safety may mean a hotel room tonight. It may also mean transportation to work tomorrow, money for first month's rent and enough financial breathing room to make the next decision.
Emergency Financial Relief can be another important part of that support system.
For this mom, it meant she could receive help while healing, restore her dignity and keep herself – and her daughter – safe and one step closer to starting over, knowing they weren’t alone.