Importance of Washington, DC

In addition to being where Snyder lives, Washington DC is a place where she explored several significant domestic violence initiatives. It is where she investigates alternatives to the shelter system and protocol, in particular with the case study of the District Alliance for Safe Housing, which is a transitional housing program "lauded nationally as a model to emulate" (225). Washington DC is also the location of the crisis hotline that Snyder visits, DC Safe. In this location, she gets a better understanding of how front-line crisis teams are responding to domestic violence incidents in the short term. As the capital of the country under discussion, Washington DC is also a symbolic location where major nationwide changes to litigation and policy can be enacted.