PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Shani Adess, Vice President of New York Legal Assist Group (NYLAG), on Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence in NYC's Shelter System
3:01:44
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135 sec
Shani Adess, Vice President of NYLAG, testified about the need for more accessible, inclusive, and trauma-informed domestic violence shelters in New York City. She emphasized the importance of expanding options for survivors and giving power back to them through responsive services and transparent shelter rules.
- Highlighted the shortage of shelter beds, especially for diverse family structures and those with specific needs (e.g., religious or dietary restrictions)
- Discussed the negative impact of shelter time limits on survivors' stability and willingness to enter the system
- Called for increased transparency and uniformity in shelter rules, including language accessibility and reasonable accommodations
Shani Adess
3:01:44
account's members and staff, thank you for the opportunity to testify.
3:01:47
My name is Shani Adis.
3:01:48
I'm one of the vice presidents at New York Legal Assist Group, I previously spent my entire career providing services to survivors of domestic violence.
3:01:56
We believe that one of the things most central to survivor services are role in expanding options for survivors.
3:02:02
Years of isolation and coercion take or attempt to take power away from a person.
3:02:06
Our services should aim to give that power back.
3:02:09
To do this, we need resources, including shelters that are responsive to the needs of survivors and their families by being accessible, inclusive, and trauma informed.
3:02:17
And that survivors across shelters have uniform and transparent rules and procedures.
3:02:21
They understand their rights and responsibilities.
3:02:23
We do not have enough beds in spaces for domestic violence survivors in New York City right now.
3:02:28
We need more.
3:02:28
We also need more spaces that aren't solely able support cisgender female survivors with young children.
3:02:35
Similarly, survivors who have religious and dietary restrictions are most often not accommodated by the DV shelter system.
3:02:41
Survivors who are calling our hotline being told that they're Our city's hotline being told there are no beds available or none that fit their family needs limits the safety planning options a survivor may have when our goal needs to be to expand it.
3:02:53
I've also had clients weigh accessing shelter due to not only the initial uprooting of themselves and their kids to move there, but also the ongoing risk of instability through constant shelter moves due to the time limits.
3:03:03
There's not enough affordable housing in New York City.
3:03:06
Survivors, especially those who are low income, who might have experienced financial abuse or who are relying on our protracted systems like our courts to obtain support.
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Or access to assets need time.
3:03:15
If entering our shelter a 100 days in, they yet again have to change schools, jobs, find new resources for services, whether counseling or child's special education, or medical needs, there's a chilling effect to be able to enter the shelter system.
3:03:28
In addition, we know that the lack of transparency and uniformity on shelter rules is a huge problem.
3:03:33
This means limited access to reasonable accommodations, which aren't determined by a centralized source, but sub shelter to shelter.
3:03:39
We also strongly believe that shelters should be mandated to provide and provide publicly post shelter rules in residents preferred languages as people who may be complying with headquarters for visitors evening are not able to return without risking expulsion.
3:03:54
Thank you so much.
3:03:54
We'll expand on this in a written testimony, and thank you for calling us hearing today.
