The Mayor's Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence

Monthly Bulletin

January 2021

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Commissioner’s Message

Cecile Noel

It is my great pleasure to write to you this month with a sense of optimism for the rapid progress that has happened recently, and hopefulness for what is yet to come. Vaccines are being produced and administered to our most vulnerable family, friends, and neighbors; a series of new Executive Orders from our nation’s capital seek to address the wellbeing of survivors and those most in need, from rent relief to public health, to a promising start to immigration reform. There is much to be thankful and optimistic about today.

I am also encouraged by recent local news from the New York City and State levels. ENDGBV’s first Advisory Council has convened to support the City’s efforts serving survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. Developed and implemented by Bea Hanson after she headed up the NYC Domestic Violence Task Force for nearly four years, the Advisory Council will be facilitated by Bea Hanson with council convenings led by two chairpersons and 22 members who are experts in their respective areas of GBV. I thank Bea for her tireless dedication to serving survivors, the entire Council for its vital contributions to our city to come, and our Advisory Council Co-Chairs guiding our field of experts: Rawaa Nancy Albilal, President & CEO of Arab-American Family Support Center; and Christopher Bromson, Executive Director of the Crime Victims Treatment Center. The latest amendments to the City’s Paid Sick and Safe Leave are now officially effective: Employers with 100 or more employees, and employers with four or fewer employees and a net income of $1 million or more, must now provide paid leave. (More about Paid Safe Leave from DCWP)

On the state level, New York recently announced a package of initiatives to combat gender-based violence in the 2021 State of the State. The package includes a proposal allowing courts to require abusers to pay for damages to the housing unit, moving expenses, and other housing costs related to domestic violence. And the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence will be transformed into a reimagined agency, the Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, to address the intersection of the many forms of intimate partner violence, including domestic violence and sexual violence, in a survivor-centered and comprehensive manner.

In addition, the New York State Office of Court Administration has recently updated its order of protection forms with a new condition to prohibit one of the most common types of intimate partner victimization, technological abuse.

So while we may now be double masking, still staying indoors and at least six feet away from those outside of our immediate households, and experiencing varying degrees of pandemic fatigue through a long winter, let us also take heart from recent and unfolding events and remember to hope. Because hope is not on pause. I encourage you to prioritize self-care in addition to caring for your loved ones. If recent progress is any indication, we have much work that remains to be done together.

WHAT’S NEW

CDC Extends Nationwide Ban on Evictions Through March 2021

President Biden directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to extend the nationwide ban on evictions through March 2021 by executive order, and extended the foreclosure moratorium on government-backed mortgages, including those backed by the USDA, VA, and HUD. Learn more

ENDGBV Resource Alert

For Human Trafficking Awareness month, we released an update of our Toolkit for Faith Leaders and Communities on supporting trafficking survivors.

You can also find a reporting of our Outreach Activities from 2018-2019 on our website

ENDGBV in the News

As Part Two of a series of articles on COVID and survivors, see ENDGBV in the news:

Remote services, social media foster key connections for DV survivors in pandemic

Full story at Queens Daily Eagle

Part One (previously run): Pandemic continues to intensify domestic violence crisis for Queens families

Full story at Queens Daily Eagle

Opinion: This Stalking Awareness month, look for the less obvious signs

Full story at Queens Daily Eagle

Wakefield: Man Chasing Woman with Knife Shot Dead by Police, as January Marks Stalking Awareness Month

Full story at Norwood News

COVID-19 UPDATES

You can get information on COVID-19 in New York City online, and refer to this list of Agency Suspensions and Reductions for the latest on citywide service modifications which remain in place.

The NYC Family Justice Centers (FJCs) remain available by phone to offer survivors guidance on immediate safety planning, shelter assistance, legal consultations, counseling sessions, case management sessions, community resources, and more. Survivors can call the Center in their borough on Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.:

Brooklyn FJC: (718) 250-5113

Bronx FJC: (718) 508-1220

Manhattan FJC: (212) 602-2800

Queens FJC: (718) 575-4545

Staten Island FJC: (718) 697-4300

After hours and on weekends, survivors can:

Call the City's 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-621-4673 (1-800-621-HOPE) or using TTY: 1-800-810-7444

Visit NYC HOPE (www.nyc.gov/NYCHOPE) for additional community resources and information.

The COVID-19 vaccine is now available to certain groups in NYC. These groups have recently become eligible:

People ages 65 and older

Teachers, school staff, in-person college instructors and childcare workers

Correction staff

First responders

Public transit workers

Public-facing grocery store workers

People working and living in group homeless shelters and other group settings

Learn which groups are currently eligible for the vaccine, and which may be eligible next and find a vaccine site location for eligible New Yorkers, including seniors over age 65, using the Vaccine Finder at https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov or call: 1-877-VAX4NYC

ICYMI

Apply for NYS Address Confidentiality Program Online

The New York State Address Confidentiality Program can help victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence—such as stalking, sexual offenses, and human trafficking—protect the privacy of their home, school, and/or work addresses.

Learn more at www.dos.ny.gov/acp

NYS HCR's COVID Rent Relief Program Expands

Homes and Community Renewal expands rent relief through February 1, 2021. Previous applicants do not have to reapply to be considered. Applications for the HCR COVID Rent Relief Program are available online at HCR.NY.GOV/RRP

Get Covered, New York

NYS has extended the Special Enrollment Period for uninsured New Yorkers through March 31, 2021. New Yorkers can apply for coverage through New York State's health insurance marketplace, or directly through insurers.

NYC Care health coverage is available to all New Yorkers If you cannot afford or are not eligible for health insurance, you can enroll to access comprehensive and affordable primary, preventative, and specialized health care at NYC H+H hospitals. Call 646-NYC-CARE (646-692-2273) or visit a NYC H+H location to enroll.

The NYC Test & Trace Corps gets New Yorkers tested for COVID-19 and provides resources to those testing positive, including free temporary isolation housing at hotels for people who do not require medical care and are unable to isolate where they live. The Corps are committed to protecting the privacy and security of New Yorkers’ personal and health information to the maximum extent permitted by federal, state and city law. NYC H+H is also offering Express COVID testing that can provide results in 24 hours. Learn more about testing, or find out if you are in a COVID-19 zone

IN THE NEWS

Denmark Toughens Rape Law to Include Sex Without Consent

Full story at NY Times

Emergency calls on violence against women spiked in Mexico in 2020

Full story at Reuters

What defines domestic abuse? Survivors say it’s more than assault

Full story at Orlando Sentinel

Puerto Rico declares state of emergency over violence against women

Full story at Miami Herald

New York Democrats finally ready to repeal ‘walking while trans’ loitering law

Full story at NY Daily News

Why Andrew Cuomo Faces Lawsuit Over New York's Abortion Law

Full story at Newsweek

Rutgers researcher speaks on new international effort to understand ramifications of injuries

See press release from Rutgers University

US Carries Out Federal Execution of Convict Lisa Montgomery; First Woman to be Executed Since 1953

Full story at Yahoo News

Exits from NYC Council cause leadership changes

Full story at NY Daily News

Opinion: We Have a New Tool to Remove Guns from Abusers; We Must Use It to Save Lives

Full story at Gotham Gazette

Exits from NYC Council cause leadership changes

Full story at NY Daily News

Opinion: We Have a New Tool to Remove Guns from Abusers; We Must Use It to Save Lives

Full story at Gotham Gazette

Disclaimer: We believe in the principles of open dialogue and considering varying perspectives. Viewpoints or opinions expressed in the content of this communication or in articles linked do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, or the City of New York.

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The Office to Combat Domestic Violence (OCDV) is now the Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence. Find out more at www.nyc.gov/ENDGBV

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