I think that when there are options taken off the table for women, then shelter seems like it should be the option. I would also argue that we see women coming into the shelter who are in serious need of a safe place to stay. They are being stalked, and the abuse is continuing after she's left the home.
We have women come in sometimes who think that they are almost...not “home free”. I don't want to use that term because there are no homes to rent. They think they're okay once they're in shelter, once they're away from the abuser, but that's not the case. Abuse tends to escalate after a woman leaves and that's when it becomes the most severe. Quite often women don't even realize until they're in shelter that the situation is going to be a little bit worse or maybe much worse than she thought originally.
The lack of affordable housing is what stops women from having the options. Women who have affluence are able to make choices that women who don't have money can't, but I think sometimes those women could actually benefit from a shelter stay as well.