ADVOCACY AGENDA

New Destiny Housing Corporation is a key partner in the United Way/Enterprise Domestic Violence and Permanent Housing Task Force and the NYC Coalition of Domestic Violence Residential Providers which advocate 1) to improve and increase the existing permanent housing resources for domestic violence survivors and 2) to expand the overall supply of housing available to domestic violence survivors in New York City.

• United Way/Enterprise Domestic Violence and Permanent Housing Task Force
• The Coalition of Domestic Violence Residential Providers

The United Way/Enterprise Domestic Violence and Permanent Housing Task Force was launched following a domestic violence and housing symposium, “Opening Doors: Expanding Permanent Housing for Domestic Violence Survivors”, spearheaded by News Destiny in early May 2006. The Task Force, convened by United Way and Enterprise Community Partners, began in June 2006 and met monthly to gather data and prepare recommendations. The final product was a report released to the Mayor’s Office in March 2007.  In the spring and summer, members of the Task Force met with the Mayor’s Office to discuss the implementation of key recommendations. 
Task Force recommendations focused on 3 areas:

• Making improvements to the domestic violence shelter system to better facilitate the movement of domestic violence survivors to safe stable housing.
• Increasing the permanent housing options for domestic violence survivors by reducing and eliminating the barriers that prevent domestic violence shelter residents from accessing affordable and supportive housing.
• Connecting domestic violence survivors exiting domestic violence shelters for permanent housing with aftercare services to improve their chances for remaining stably housed.

Click here for a draft of Task Force preliminary recommendations designed to increase the permanent housing options available to domestic violence survivors.

In October 2007 Mayor Bloomberg and the Task Force jointly announced six new initiatives designed to help reduce or eliminate barriers faced by domestic violence shelter residents seeking safe, affordable housing.  The six initiatives the City has committed to implement are the following.

1. DV Work Advantage – a rental subsidy program tailored to domestic violence shelter residents giving them up to six months after securing permanent housing to find employment (reversing the order of the Work Advantage Program).
2. Eligibility of DV shelter residents for a proportional share of homeless housing units developed by HPD.
3. A pilot program to reduce the time required to process Section 8 and NYCHA public housing applications under the NYCHA domestic violence priority. 
4. A training program for domestic violence service providers to facilitate the application of eligible domestic violence survivors to NY/NY III supportive housing. 
5. Improved data sharing between the HRA and DHS shelter systems to identify and track domestic violence survivors in both systems.
6. A partnership with United Way of New York City to support the development of enhanced after-care programs for domestic violence survivors leaving the shelter system.

The City also agreed to meet quarterly with representatives from the Task Force to monitor and evaluate the progress on the six initiatives with the first meeting scheduled for December 2007.

The Coalition of Domestic Violence Residential Providers (“The Coalition”) consists of all 18 City-funded non-profit domestic violence residential shelter providers in New York City. The Coalition advocates with a unified voice for a continuum of care that provides quality housing and services for all domestic violence survivors. The Coalition’s main goals are to (1) increase the housing and services available to low-income domestic violence survivors and (2) improve the access of survivors to existing resources.

New Destiny plays an active leadership role in the Coalition.  New Destiny staff members serve on the Steering, Housing and Services committees, prepare testimony and written materials on behalf of the Coalition and, collect and analyze monthly “Statistics for Advocacy” tracking the outcomes of domestic violence shelter stays.