Are resources out of reach? Analyzing the accessibility of domestic violence shelter services

Background and purpose Domestic violence is a serious public health issue. Resources such as domestic violence shelters have a vital impact on victim outcomes and, consequently, on the economic costs associated with domestic violence. Although accessibility is known to be an important factor for the utilization of social services, little research has been done on analyzing accessibility to shelter services for victims. This article seeks to mend this disparity by examining the spatial relationship between victims and shelter services and various factors associated with spatial mismatch and inefficiency in the location of shelter sites. Methods Using Los Angeles County as a study area, the enhanced two‐step floating catchment area method was used to measure domestic violence shelter site accessibility. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the demographic characteristics of census tracts experiencing greater spatial mismatch and inefficiencies related to the location of shelter sites. Results The results reveal that census tracts characterized by a greater proportion of whites in poverty, males aged 18–35, and children have detrimental spatial mismatch and greater inefficiency present. Conclusion This research highlights the importance of utilizing spatial analysis to better understand victims’ accessibility to domestic violence shelter services and the resulting spatial mismatch and inefficiencies in their distribution. From an efficiency perspective, it is important to proportionately match service accessibility with the level of need.