Massachusetts Data from the 20th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report Reveals Incredible Need for Services and Reality of Unmet Needs

Massachusetts Data from the 20th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report Reveals Incredible Need for Services and Reality of Unmet Needs

Boston, MA – March 25, 2026 – Today, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) released its 20th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report, including data from a single-day survey of domestic violence services across the Commonwealth. In Massachusetts, the survey was conducted on September 10, 2025. 50 of 51 identified domestic violence programs in Massachusetts participated in the survey and, together reported serving 1,790 adults and children and receiving 597 hotline contacts. On the same day, 873 requests for services went unmet due to a lack of resources, funding, or staff.

 

“This report shows the incredible scope and depth of the work service providers are doing across Massachusetts every day, and the ways in which the field is evolving to meet the moment,” said Hema Sarang-Sieminski, Executive Director of Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. “We are incredibly grateful to the advocates and programs who continue the legacy of over 50 years of providing life-saving support, critical response, and important education. As Federal funding threats and policies target survivor communities, it is vital that we identify available resources to advance this essential work. We again join our partners at NNEDV in highlighting the scale of the need and urging policy and funding support for the work to support survivors in Massachusetts and across the country. This year is no exception in highlighting the need for comprehensive solutions to the complex housing needs of survivors.” 

 

According to the survey data collected on September 10th, 2025 and released today by NNEDV, in Massachusetts: 

 

· Of the 1,790 adults and children served, 725 “found refuge in emergency shelters, transitional housing, hotels, motels, or other housing provided by local programs,” and 1,065 received non-residential support, like transportation, legal support, or counseling;

· Programs provided 14 educational training sessions to 354 members of the public, on topics including domestic violence prevention and early intervention;

· There were 597 hotline contacts, which serve as critical lifelines for survivors to reach support, information, safety planning, and resources, averaging at/more than 25 contacts per hour;

· 73 percent of the 873 unmet requests were for emergency shelter, hotels, motels, transitional housing, or other housing.

 

This report encourages policymakers and the field at large to strive for the elimination of barriers to safety and justice, and to ensure no program is ever forced to turn away survivors or close their doors, starting with robust funding for Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), and Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants are essential for programs, advocates, and survivors. 

 

Find the full 20th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report here.