New York, NY – Speaker Adrienne E. Adams and Council Member Tiffany Cabán celebrated two bills to expand services to victims of domestic and gender-based violence being signed into law today. The “Support Survivors” legislative package, to increase services and provide resources for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, was passed during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It would require city agencies to establish a housing stability program for survivors and create an online portal and resource guide for survivors.

“The Council has been laser-focused on expanding support for crime victims, who too often are underserved despite being frequently referenced in public safety debates,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Supporting survivors of domestic and gender-based violence requires thoughtful consideration of their most urgent needs and the best ways to meet them. The Support Survivors legislative package enacts solutions that will provide critical resources to promote health, safety, and stability and make available services easier to find and navigate. I thank Council Member Caban for her advocacy and leadership, and all of our Council colleagues who supported this legislation that will help survivors access the recovery they need.”

“When I first became chair of the Committee on Women & Gender Equity, I shared that my focus this term would be on shifting resources and power away from patriarchal systems of violence and punishment and toward the compassionate, life-giving systems which we have sidelined and devalued for too long. I am very proud to be delivering on that promise with the two bills the Mayor is signing today,” said Council Member Tiffany Cabán. “These two laws WILL save lives. The online portal and written resource guide, available in all major languages and in braille, will make it much more likely that survivors will know about, and take advantage of, the great life-saving programs already available in our City. And the low-barrier urgently-accessible grant program will directly address one of the most significant barriers survivors face in leaving dangerous situations: economic precarity. I look forward to working with the Mayor to fully fund and thoughtfully implement these laws and can’t wait to celebrate many survivor success stories together.”

The legislative package contains the following:

Introduction 153-A, sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán, would require the Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV), in consultation with the Department of Social Services (DSS) and community-based organizations, to establish a program to provide survivors of domestic and gender-based violence with a low-barrier grant and supportive services that would help survivors with expenses related to maintaining housing. The bill would also require ENDGBV to report on the program on an annual basis.

Introduction 154-A, sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán, would require ENDGBV to establish an online portal and a written resource guide of available services for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence in New York City. The portal and guide would be available in the designated citywide languages. The guide would also be available in Braille. The portal would also include a clear and conspicuous link to any other relevant City-run websites and portals that provide information on survivor services located within the city, and a description of the types of such resources. The bill would also require ENDGBV to conduct outreach on the portal and guide and ensure the portal is secure and confidential to protect the privacy of survivors.

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