Changes for homeless domestic violence survivors are "baby steps," advocates say

While advocates and nonprofit leaders welcomed news on Tuesday that the New York City Human Resources Administration plans to make policy adjustments in regards to its services for homeless victims of domestic violence, many said much work remains to be done, with one advocate describing the proposed shifts as mere “baby steps” in the right direction.

Earlier this week, an HRA spokesperson told New York Nonprofit Media that the agency plans to resume reporting the number of victims of domestic violence in New York City shelters to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after three years of electing not to do so. Advocates characterize the count as an important tool for policymakers as they craft services and secure funding for domestic violence survivors.

The agency’s spokesperson also said that HRA will move to provide childcare during sensitive intake interviews in an effort to protect children from experiencing trauma as a result of hearing parents recount specific details of domestic violence. Both policy adjustments come amid a comprehensive 90-day review of the city’s homeless services ordered last month by Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The shifts, which followed inquiries by NYN Media, garnered praise from many corners of the nonprofit community.

"These changes will help us more accurately assess the extent to which domestic violence contributes to the homelessness crisis in New York City, and will minimize the trauma children experience by eliminating unnecessary and misguided protocols,” said Christine Quinn, executive director of Win, one of the city’s largest providers of services for homeless women and children. “Additional steps are needed, however, to ensure our system is responsive to the needs of homeless families that have survived domestic violence."

Carol Corden, executive director of New Destiny Housing, an organization that works to house victims of domestic violence throughout New York City, stressed the importance of an accurate count of domestic violence survivors in the shelter system given the magnitude of the population.

“Before the city stopped doing the count, domestic violence survivors were the third highest subpopulation in homeless shelters,” Corden said. “We are happy that they are in fact going to do what should have been done all along.”

Corden also cautioned leaders against allowing domestic violence survivors to “fall off the radar” and called on de Blasio to appoint a representative from adomestic violence organization to his recently formed supportive housing task force, a “brain trust” that will guide the implementation of his administration’s $2.6 billion, 15,000-unit plan.

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