MEASURING SAFETY REPORTS 2025
Each year, The Network releases a comprehensive overview of the statewide response to gender-based violence, with a particular focus on domestic violence and sexual violence. Our reports are the only one of their kind in Illinois and have both a quantitative and qualitative approach. The reports are specifically aimed at being a contemporary snapshots of recent trends in services, needs and systems responses to gender-based violence across Illinois.
Volume One of Measuring Safety 2025: Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline is live!
Click here to read the Executive Summary of the report.
Annually, The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence (The Network) publishes Measuring Safety to assess experiences of gender-based violence and responding service providers in Illinois. This volume is the first in a series of 2025 data reports. It focuses specifically on the Illinois Domes tic Violence Hotline operated by The Network. The goal of each report is to learn from survivors and providers about the nature of violence, the gaps in services and systems, and the steps needed to repair harm as well as prevent further violence. The insights provided in this report serve as a blueprint for public and private stakeholders to invest in services, programs, policies, and systems change that increase safety for survivors.
In 2025, the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline saw another record-breaking year of contacts, receiving 69,748 calls, texts, and chats.
» These contacts accounted for a 17% increase in contacts from 2024 and an 181% increase from 2019.
» As of 2025, contacts from the City of Chicago have doubled (122% increase) compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
Domestic violence shelter remains a top need among survivors who contact the Hotline and shelter capacity cannot meet demand.
» The Hotline received a record breaking 20,623 requests for shelter in 2025, requested by almost 1 in every 3 contacts (30%).
» Shelter was the top need among contacts from Chicago, even as there were no available beds or cribs in DV shelters for nearly half of the year – 157 days – in 2025.
» The shelter crisis was also persistent, though improved, in the suburbs where there were 71 days or a quarter of the year without beds or cribs.
Demand for affordable and transitional housing also continued to skyrocket as shelters remained full.
» In 2025, the Hotline received 4,303 requests for affordable or transitional housing across Illinois, a staggering 85% increase since 2024.
» There were 1,532 requests for affordable or transitional housing in Chicago alone, a 56% increase from 2024.
In recognition of limited service capacity to meet survivor needs, the Hotline continued to expand its own supplemental programming to bridge the gap.
» In 2025, the Hotline provided hotel stays to 700 survivors, including 338 adults, 280 children, and 82 pets, covering more than $900,000 in housing costs.
» In 2025, the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline’s Safe Rides program provided 1,934 rides to 2,951 passengers, covering 96.6k miles at a cost of $181,140.64.
Please fill out the form below to download any of our published 2025 Measuring Safety Reports.
Join the Policy, Advocacy, and Research team at The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence to learn about the key takeaways from the first volume of Measuring Safety 2025, a data report series on gender-based violence in Illinois, which focuses on the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline. The event is open to GBV service providers, journalists, stakeholders from across the legal, medical, and social safety net systems, and philanthropic entities. We hope to see you there!
Date: Wednesday, April 15
Time: 12:00-1:00pm
Location: Virtual, Zoom Link
