Q&A
Council member inquires about culturally competent shelter services for Muslim domestic violence survivors
1:06:47
·
4 min
Council Member Alexa Avilés raises concerns about the availability of culturally competent shelter services for Muslim women and children who are survivors of domestic violence. City officials from HRA and MOEDGBV respond, discussing the current approach to cultural competency in shelters and alternative housing options.
- Officials emphasize non-discrimination policies and cultural sensitivity training for shelter staff
- MOEDGBV highlights partnerships with organizations serving Arabic-speaking survivors and efforts to provide housing options that avoid shelter stays
- The council member requests more concrete data on how the city is addressing the specific needs of the Muslim community in domestic violence situations
Alexa Avilés
1:06:47
Thank you so much, chair.
1:06:49
I was curious about the number of beds you have that are culturally competent.
1:06:56
For Muslim women and children.
1:07:00
There's a a real need, and I represent District 38, which includes Sunset Park, but between Sunset Park and Bay Ridge, a real dearth of beds available for DB survivors from Muslim families.
1:07:14
Do you have how many culturally competent?
Rima Rivera
1:07:18
Our shelters are available.
1:07:20
Residential shelters are available to to all.
1:07:25
So when someone seeks shelter, the state vags prevent are provided to discriminate based on race or ethnicity.
1:07:38
So or religion.
1:07:41
So there each each shelter is open to to all.
Alexa Avilés
1:07:48
I guess a better way to a better way maybe to ask us.
1:07:51
I obviously know that you don't discriminate, but do you have shelter providers that are culturally competent.
1:07:58
Right?
1:07:58
And that means do they have accessibility to prayer spaces?
1:08:04
Is the food halal?
1:08:06
Are there other elements that would be necessary for obviously, or would be dignified for a Muslim family that needs shelter in that circumstance.
Rima Rivera
1:08:21
We definitely recognize the need to ensure that our providers provide services in a way that's culturally sensitive and competent.
1:08:30
So the state and and we encourage it as well ensures that encourages ensures actually that there are certain training trainings that are provided to aid to provide a staff to ensure that services are delivered in a culturally sensitive way, and they are to provide these plans, these training plans to the state.
Alexa Avilés
1:08:54
Do you have any data around around this population in particular?
1:09:00
That you've been tracking or following because what I understand is there are no beds and folks in community, like many communities, right, are struggling to support, you know, their community members.
1:09:15
But with all the complications of being in the same place where the violence is occurring and all those other complications.
1:09:24
So I'd love to know if how the city is approaching this particular need or there's specific providers?
1:09:30
Are we meeting the demands?
1:09:32
Are you seeing the demands?
Jennifer DeCarli
1:09:35
Yeah.
1:09:37
So it's a great question, council member.
1:09:40
At the Family Justice Centers, we have a really strong partner leadership with 2 organizations in particular that work with our Arabic speaking survivors, our American family support center and pillars of peace.
1:09:51
And they to leave a number of cultural specific works working on FTCs.
1:09:55
They too have raised these concerns to us.
1:09:57
And as Rima shared, we're constantly doing culturally specific and culturally competent trainings for providers.
1:10:04
And we also are really trying to build up the housing options.
1:10:07
I mentioned to Louis to avoid shelter.
1:10:09
So the emergency housing voucher program, for example, that I mentioned, the Arab American Family Support Center did hundreds of applications for survivors, which is a voucher that then will allow you to leave the home.
1:10:21
And lease up a home, and we were able to run that successfully with housing search assistance for New Destiny and have people stay by the house.
1:10:27
I would say that's how we've been approaching it at the center.
1:10:29
It's really to provide that case management support and the housing options and support so that we can avoid shelter, and then obviously working with a provider community to ensure culturally competent and culturally specific training and partnerships with organizations.
Alexa Avilés
1:10:42
That's that's very helpful.
1:10:43
If you could provide any concrete data around exactly what is being done and how it's meeting the need or on the way to meet the need because there's still very much a disconnect that I'm it's unclear how to reconcile those things because emergency beds are so difficult to find particularly with this community for a range of reasons.
1:11:09
So, yeah, I'd love to see more concrete data and what funding is being made available to make sure that we are on our way to trying to address as much as possible.
Jennifer DeCarli
1:11:20
Sure.
1:11:20
I'd be happy to follow-up with you.
