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Testimony of:
Supported by:
Against Domestic Violence (“the Coalition”). Thank you, Councilmember Mendelson, for your
commitment and leadership in addressing the legal rights of victims of domestic violence and on domestic
The Coalition commends and supports the critical work of the Office of Victim Services (OVS) and
the leadership of its Director, Melissa Hook. OVS works diligently in partnership with its grantees to
effectively identify community needs in response to domestic violence victimization. These efforts have
increased the safety and well being of victims, survivors and their families and we are all grateful for its
support and the knowledge and commitment of its staff. Especially notable is the Administration’s
foresight and long-term commitment, under the stewardship of Melissa Hook, to safe housing, which has
I am here today on behalf of the Coalition and our member programs to implore you to make a
moderate, responsible investment in the amount of $2 million to sustain core, non-residential services for
victims of domestic violence and their children. This stabilization funding will sustain: support and
counseling; advocacy and legal representation; education; and targeted outreach to underserved
populations including teens and youth. The Coalition also supports the city’s domestic violence shelters
to ensure the District’s long term commitment to domestic violence housing, including accessing the DV
Shelter Fund, if necessary. This request is the result of difficult decisions made by a consensus of the
Coalition’s membership.
Please understand that we are extremely mindful of the challenges you face in this harsh economic
climate. However, while economic woes do not directly cause domestic violence, they do commonly
contribute to increases in frequency and severity of abuse. Local programs have reported a tremendous
increase in crisis calls to hotlines, as well as requests for assistance. Statistics support this: in 2009, the
number of children served by the Domestic Violence Intake Centers nearly doubled, the number of teens
tripled, the number of requests for civil protection orders increased by 7%, and the Metropolitan Police
Department logged more than 31,000 domestic-related calls – one every 17 minutes. Citing to the poor
economy, last August Chief of Police Cathy Lanier publicly expressed her concern over the troubling
Local providers are struggling, despite best efforts to stretch resources and maintain core life-
saving services. In FY10, OVS’ funding was cut by a shocking 25%. One-time Recovery Act funding did
little more than mask the funding gap already facing the victim services community. Cuts in local funding
and charitable giving, coupled with increased demands for services, have necessitated that some local
programs drastically reduce services and one to nearly eliminate services that help ensure the safety of
thousands of victims and survivors. Simply put: the domestic violence community cannot continue to save
constituents’ lives if the District further slashes OVS’s already meager funding.
Investing in domestic violence prevention programs and services is not just good policy; it is sound
fiscal policy and imperative in this economy. Domestic violence is a primary cause of homelessness in
major cities. Young people who flee violent homes are at a heightened risk for emotional and behavioral
problems that affect their ability to learn and to become independent, economically stable adults. Children
and youth made homeless because of domestic violence often resurface later in the criminal justice
system. The bottom line is that any further funding decreases to core domestic violence services will
necessarily increase the burden to other social service systems and escalate the need to spend money in
those areas. Spending money now to support core non-residential domestic violence programming
invests in the safety of the District’s most vulnerable and will help prevent a further increase in the
homicide rate and help alleviate the burden on other government and non-profit systems in the District.
Your investment of $2 million to stabilize today’s non-residential core services and programs will
have a direct and powerful impact on the citizens of tomorrow and provide meaningful savings of D.C.
financial resources in other social service areas. Lives are in the balance: policymakers must prioritize
and protect funding for victims of domestic violence and their children. We are committed to working with
you and plan to submit a list of revenue enhancement recommendations to support domestic violence
services.
Thank you and do not hesitate to contact our Policy Director, Becca O’Connor, with questions