On Wednesday, October 9, Policy and Advocacy Associate Juan Diaz submitted testimony during an oversight hearing on supporting domestic violence survivors in NYC’s shelter system to the NYC Council Committees on General Welfare and Women and Gender Equity. On behalf of CCC, the testimony recognizes the intersection of domestic violence and family housing and economic insecurity and suggests actions that can be taken by City Administration to invest in programs and strategies that will accelerate DV survivor families housing stability and prevent shelter entry.

Read the Testimony Below

Testimony of Juan Diaz
Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York
Submitted to The New York City Council Committees on General Welfare and Women and Gender Equity
Oversight – Supporting Domestic Violence Survivors in NYC’s Shelter System.
October 9th, 2024

Thank you, Chair Ayala and Chair Louis and the members of the Committees on General Welfare and Women and Gender Equity, for holding today’s hearing on Supporting Domestic Violence Survivors in NYC’s Shelter System.

Since 1944, Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York has served as an independent, multi- issue child advocacy organization. CCC does not accept or receive public resources, provide direct services, or represent a sector or workforce; our priority is improving outcomes for children and families through civic engagement, research, and advocacy. We document the facts, engage, and mobilize New Yorkers, and advocate for solutions to ensure that every New York child is healthy, housed, educated, and safe.

CCC is a steering committee member of the Family Homeless Coalition (FHC), a coalition comprised of 20 organizations representing service and housing providers, children’s advocacy organizations, and people with lived experience with family homelessness. We are united by the goal of preventing family homelessness, improving the well-being of children and families in shelter, and supporting the long-term stability of families with children who leave shelter.

The recently released New Destiny Report, A Crisis Compounded: The Dual Crises of Domestic Violence and Homelessness, reveals eye-opening facts about the damaging effects of domestic abuse, and brings to light the intersection of domestic violence, mental and physical harm, and housing and economic insecurity. The report reveals that in New York City, domestic violence continues to be the leading cause of shelter entry and homelessness among families with children.

Below are some key findings from the New Destiny report on the compounding effects of domestic violence and housing insecurity:

• More families with children enter DHS shelters due to domestic violence at 23% (2,911 families), compared to housing court evictions at 11%.
• Most individuals in HRA domestic violence shelters are children: in 2022, 58% of individuals in domestic violence shelters were younger than 18.
• Poverty is prevalent among Domestic Violence survivors, with more than 94% reporting economic abuse by their perpetrators.
• Survivors are 31% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease compared to those who have not been impacted by domestic violence, and over half of survivors experience posttraumatic stress disorder and depression.
• Domestic violence disproportionally impacts women of color in NYC. Between 2018 and 2022, most heads of household identified as female and more than 90% identified as either Black non-Hispanic or Hispanic.

In the face of the domestic violence crisis, CCC urges the City Administration to invest in programs and strategies that will accelerate DV survivor families housing stability and prevent shelter entry. We therefore urge you to consider the following actions:

• Work closely with HPD and other city agencies to fully enforce the recent inclusion of domestic survivor families in HPD homeless set-aside units.
• Expand CityFHEPS eligibility to include survivors fleeing abuse, regardless of immigration status. As CCC’s Keeping Track of NYC’s Children data book revealed, in FY23 over 16% of families with children that exited DHS shelter without a housing subsidy returned to shelter within 12 months, compared to less than 1% with a housing subsidy.
• Invest $6 million in ENDGender and Domestic Violence microgrant program. Advocates call for an increase of $4.8 million to the next FY Budget to fully fund this much needed program.
• Include survivors as an eligible population for City-funded supportive housing, NYC 15/15.
• Prioritize access to Homebase services, which are the first source of assistance for DV survivors when they exit shelter and need aftercare services. The CBOs who administer Homebase are facing increasing demand for care, and the City must ensure they have adequate resources to serve DV survivors and other individuals and families seeking housing stability and financial assistance.

CCC also supports Intro 2572 (Ayala), which would expand reporting on domestic violence shelter exits, and Intro 2573 (Ayala), which would amend the existing reporting requirements for multi-agency emergency housing assistance to include reporting on applications for domestic violence emergency shelters and applications for domestic violence tier II shelters by household size.

Lastly, we urge the City Administration to continue making strides to improve social services delivery for all New Yorkers by enhancing technology services like ACCESS HRA and fully staffing social services agencies.

Thank you for your time and consideration.