Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Our New DV Program

Dear friends,

This October, Brooklyn A joins the City of New York in recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month to shed light on this all-too-common issue and the many crises that stem from intimate partner violence. Brooklyn A has always responded to the needs of the New Yorkers we serve, and we are pleased to announce the launch of a new legal services program for survivors of domestic violence.

Domestic violence takes many forms and affects people of all genders, races, and sexual orientations. Survivors of domestic violence often deal with harm beyond the violence itself, including long-lasting trauma, disruptions to families, displacement, and costly court proceedings that can be emotionally taxing to endure.

The statistics are staggering:

• 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men in the U.S. experience severe intimate partner physical violence, contact sexual violence, and/or stalking; in New York the rate is 31.7% for women and 29% for men. (NCADV)
• Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime. (NCADV)
• In 2021, NYC recorded 231,763 domestic incident reports. (NYC ENDGBV)
• The city also had 24 intimate partner homicides and 38 family homicides last year. (NYC ENDGBV)

Domestic violence can upend someone’s living situation, which is especially challenging given the extreme limits on affordable housing in NYC. In 2018 domestic violence accounted for 41 percent of the family population entering the shelter system—making it the single largest cause of homelessness for people entering shelters. But housing is just one consideration: economic stability, keeping families together, and long-term safety are also concerns for survivors.

With our clients’ needs in mind, Brooklyn A is proud to be launching a new program focused exclusively on providing legal services to domestic violence survivors. With the new program comes a new staff attorney with many years of experience working in DV cases, and an experienced social worker to provide additional services. We know 1 in 5 female survivors and 1 in 9 male survivors require legal services—this can include eviction and foreclosure prevention, assistance maintaining placement in public housing, obtaining orders of protection, navigating custody cases, and more. We are excited to be able to offer another lifeline for New Yorkers facing moments of crisis.

We will be formally announcing the launch of our new program along with details and eligibility in the coming weeks. If you or someone you know is dealing with a domestic violence issue, contact the city’s hotline at 800-621-4673. You can contact Brooklyn A at (718) 487-2300 or [email protected].