Survivor advocates tell council any new Continuum of Care role must protect domestic violence services

A coalition of domestic-violence service providers and experts used the public-comment period to press the City Council to preserve survivor-centered systems if the city takes on Continuum of Care (CoC) administrative roles.

Megan Emme of the Domestic Violence and Homeless Services Coalition told the council that the percentage of people experiencing homelessness due to domestic violence has doubled since 2018 and urged a unified city-county approach to preserve DV regional coordination, centralized access, Violence Against Women Act–focused systems and DV bonus funding. "We envision a world where no individual or family must choose between stable housing and a life free from violence," Emme said.

Several other advocates—Christina Cortez, Dr. Melissa King, Maria Verrajona, Brianna Davidson, and Emily Goodwin—echoed that stance in separate remarks, warning that a city-only service planning area could create barriers for survivors who routinely cross jurisdictional boundaries in search of safety. Speakers repeatedly urged the council to make regional coordination a design principle if the city pursues new CoC responsibilities.