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District Of Columbia Council Bill CER25-0126

District Of Columbia 2023-2024 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill CER25-0126 Compare Versions

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1- ENROLLED ORIGINAL
1+
22 1
3-
4-
5-A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
6-
7-25-126
8-
9-IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
10-
11-October 3, 2023
12-
13-
14-To declare the month of October 2023 as “Domestic Violence Awareness Month” in the District
15-of Columbia.
16-
17-WHEREAS, protecting and improving the dignity and safety of all residents is the
18-foundation of a vibrant and healthy community;
19-
20-WHEREAS, domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior used to exert power and
21-control over an intimate partner that jeopardizes the security and well-being of District residents,
22-and such destructive acts will not be tolerated;
23-
24-WHEREAS, all forms of domestic violence—including physical, psychological,
25-emotional, and economic abuse—can have devastating consequences for survivors and their
26-families;
27-
28- WHEREAS, 44% of women and 29% of men in the District have experienced intimate
29-partner physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking in their lifetimes ;
30-
31-WHEREAS, approximately 736 million women across the world have experienced
32-physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner;
33-
34- WHEREAS, nearly 99% of survivors experienced economic abuse from their partner, with
35-many also facing long-term financial consequences as a result of intimate partner violence;
36-
37-WHEREAS, in a one-day snapshot in 2022, 953 survivors received help from domestic
38-violence service providers in the District, a 24% increase over 2021, and with 526 of those
39-survivors receiving housing;
40-
41-WHEREAS, in that same one- day period, 182 additional survivors called domestic
42-violence hotlines;
43-
44-
45-
46- ENROLLED ORIGINAL
3+ _________________________ 1
4+ Councilmember Brooke Pinto 2
5+ 3
6+ 4
7+ 5
8+ 6
9+A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION 7
10+ 8
11+_____ 9
12+ 10
13+IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 11
14+ 12
15+__________ 13
16+ 14
17+ 15
18+To declare the month of October 2023 as “Domestic Violence Awareness Month” in the District 16
19+of Columbia. 17
20+ 18
21+WHEREAS, protecting and improving the dignity and safety of all residents is the 19
22+foundation of a vibrant and healthy community; 20
23+ 21
24+WHEREAS, domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior used to exert power and 22
25+control over an intimate partner that jeopardizes the security and well-being of District residents, 23
26+and such destructive acts will not be tolerated; 24
27+ 25
28+WHEREAS, all forms of domestic violence—including physical, psychological, 26
29+emotional, and economic abuse—can have devastating consequences for survivors and their 27
30+families; 28
31+ 29
32+ WHEREAS, 44% of women and 29% of men in the District have experienced intimate 30
33+partner physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking in their lifetimes; 31
34+ 32
35+WHEREAS, approximately 736 million women across the world have experienced 33
36+physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner; 34
37+ 35
38+ WHEREAS, nearly 99% of survivors experienced economic abuse from their partner, with 36
39+many also facing long-term financial consequences as a result of intimate partner violence; 37
40+ 38
41+WHEREAS, in a one-day snapshot in 2022, 953 survivors received help from domestic 39
42+violence service providers in the District, a 24% increase over 2021, and with 526 of those 40
43+survivors receiving housing; 41
44+ 42
45+WHEREAS, in that same one-day period, 182 additional survivors called domestic 43
46+violence hotlines; 44
47+ 45
4748 2
48-
49-
50-WHEREAS, in that same one- day period, providers were unable to meet approximately 41
51-survivors’ requests for housing or emergency shelter;
52-
53- WHEREAS, of District residents experiencing homelessness in 2022, 55% of adults in
54-families and 24% of single adults reported some history of domestic violence victimization ;
55-
56- WHEREAS, 40% of homeless youth in the District indicate that they have experienced
57-domestic violence;
58-
59- WHEREAS, according to the 2017 DC Women’s Needs Assessment Report , Black
60-women, who comprise only 52% of the adult women’s population, accounted for 75% of the
61-District’s unaccompanied homeless women’s population;
62-
63- WHEREAS, the COVID -19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on many communities
64-and has exacerbated long-existing income and wealth inequalities that affect domestic violence
65-survivors globally;
66-
67-WHEREAS, domestic violence service providers continue to report that their survivor
68-services are in very high demand;
69- WHEREAS, in addition to the increased demand for services, local domestic violence
70-service providers are reporting a significant increase in the lethality of domestic violence ;
71- WHEREAS, economic stability and access to financial resources can be a critical factor in
72-a survivor’s ability to leave an abuser or dangerous environment;
73-
74- WHEREAS, the District must commit to addressing the racial, social, and economic
75-inequities that are uniquely harm ful to communities of color and that hinder many survivors from
76-thriving after leaving an abusive relationship; WHEREAS, there is a continuing need for survivors to have access to culturally- specific
77-services which affirm their heritage, customs, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other lived
78-experiences;
79-
80- WHEREAS, service providers should receive adequate funding and support from local,
81-regional, and federal governments to address the growing demand and greater need for housing, counseling, legal, and culturally-specific services;
82-
83-WHEREAS, the goal of Domestic Violence Awareness Month is to improve awareness of
84-domestic violence and outreach to residents and community members, and foster cooperation
85-between public and private actors to end domestic violence in the District; ENROLLED ORIGINAL
49+WHEREAS, in that same one-day period, providers were unable to meet approximately 41 46
50+survivors’ requests for housing or emergency shelter; 47
51+ 48
52+ WHEREAS, of District residents experiencing homelessness in 2022, 55% of adults in 49
53+families and 24% of single adults reported some history of domestic violence victimization; 50
54+ 51
55+ WHEREAS, 40% of homeless youth in the District indicate that they have experienced 52
56+domestic violence; 53
57+ 54
58+ WHEREAS, according to the 2017 DC Women’s Needs Assessment Report, Black 55
59+women, who comprise only 52% of the adult women’s population, accounted for 75% of the 56
60+District’s unaccompanied homeless women’s population; 57
61+ 58
62+ WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on many communities 59
63+and has exacerbated long-existing income and wealth inequalities that affect domestic violence 60
64+survivors globally; 61
65+ 62
66+WHEREAS, domestic violence service providers continue to report that their survivor 63
67+services are in very high demand; 64
68+ 65
69+WHEREAS, in addition to the increased demand for services, local domestic violence 66
70+service providers are reporting a significant increase in the lethality of domestic violence; 67
71+ 68
72+WHEREAS, economic stability and access to financial resources can be a critical factor in 69
73+a survivor’s ability to leave an abuser or dangerous environment; 70
74+ 71
75+ WHEREAS, the District must commit to addressing the racial, social, and economic 72
76+inequities that are uniquely harmful to communities of color and that hinder many survivors from 73
77+thriving after leaving an abusive relationship; 74
78+ 75
79+ WHEREAS, there is a continuing need for survivors to have access to culturally-specific 76
80+services which affirm their heritage, customs, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other lived 77
81+experiences; 78
82+ 79
83+ WHEREAS, service providers should receive adequate funding and support from local, 80
84+regional, and federal governments to address the growing demand and greater need for housing, 81
85+counseling, legal, and culturally-specific services; 82
86+ 83
87+WHEREAS, the goal of Domestic Violence Awareness Month is to improve awareness of 84
88+domestic violence and outreach to residents and community members, and foster cooperation 85
89+between public and private actors to end domestic violence in the District; 86
90+ 87
91+WHEREAS, the District can do much more to support survivors and service providers, and 88
92+the Council will continue to partner with District agencies, community-based organizations, and 89
93+residents to keep survivors safe. 90
94+ 91
8695 3
87-
88-
89-WHEREAS, the District can do much more to support survivors and service providers, and
90-the Council will continue to partner with District agencies, community-based organizations, and
91-residents to keep survivors safe.
92-
93- RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
94-resolution may be cited as the “Domestic Violence Awareness Month Recognition Resolution of
95-2023”.
96-
97- Sec. 2. The Council declares the month of October 2023 as “Domestic Violence Awareness
98-Month” in the District of Columbia.
99-
100- Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
96+ RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 92
97+resolution may be cited as the “Domestic Violence Awareness Month Recognition Resolution of 93
98+2023”. 94
99+ 95
100+ Sec. 2. The Council declares the month of October 2023 as “Domestic Violence Awareness 96
101+Month” in the District of Columbia. 97
102+ 98
103+ Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in 99
104+the District of Columbia Register. 100