(City Hall) – Today, Councilmembers Ung, Lee and Krishnan rallied with members of The Collective, a coalition of culturally specific gender-based violence service providers serving immigrant and BIPOC survivors in New York City, and other service providers to announce the creation of a new City Council initiative. The Culturally Specific Gender Based Violence Initiative funds organizations that provide culturally competent services for immigrant survivors of domestic violence. These services include interpretation, referrals, counseling and legal representation for U Visas and T Visas.  

Expanding on the impact of the Domestic Violence and Empowerment (DoVE) Initiative, this new initiative provides a dedicated funding stream to further support culturally specific organizations serving immigrant survivors. This new funding will help address disparities in funding due to underreporting of domestic violence in immigrant communities and expand access to services to survivors in the languages that they speak.

The Councilmembers were joined by advocates from the Korean American Family Service Center, Sauti Yeti Center for African Women, Womankind, Asiyah Women’s Center, Safe Horizon, Garden of Hope, Turning Point for Women and Families.

“This funding will fill a critical and long-overlooked need in immigrant communities like my own, where cultural and language barriers too often leave survivors isolated and without support,” said Councilmember Sandra Ung. “As a former attorney working with survivors of domestic violence, I witnessed firsthand how life-changing it is to have access to service providers who not only speak your language but also understand your cultural background. This initiative represents a powerful step forward in ensuring that every survivor, regardless of where they come from, has a path to safety, justice, and healing.” 

“Every victim of violence deserves to be heard, seen, and supported but we cannot accomplish that if we aren’t reaching people in their languages and through their cultures. This $3 million investment allows for New York City to finally ensure there are culturally competent services for immigrant survivors of domestic violence. This historic funding is an important step in ensuring everyone is supported after facing gender based violence,” said Council Member Shekar Krishnan, District 25.  

“Gender-based violence is a hidden epidemic that disproportionately affects immigrant New Yorkers,” said Council Member Linda Lee. “Many cases go unreported due to limited awareness and a lack of culturally and linguistically competent resources for survivors. That’s why I’m proud to join my City Council colleagues in securing $3 million in funding to confront this longstanding issue and connect individuals with lifesaving support. Thank you to Speaker Adams for her leadership, and to the Collective and all the advocates who fought for this funding, helping us meet people where they are and respond to this overlooked crisis.” 

“To better support survivors of all backgrounds, the Council is proud to establish in the city budget a Culturally Specific Gender Based Violence Initiative, which will provide $3 million in direct funding to grassroots organizations that support domestic violence survivors in immigrant communities,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “These groups know their communities intimately, and understand the cultural and linguistic barriers that often prevent survivors from seeking help. By funding the organizations already doing this work, many of which are women-led and have deep roots in their communities, we are making sure city resources reach those who need them most. Through this new funding initiative, the Council is sending a clear message that all survivors of domestic- and gender-based violence must be supported in our diverse city.” 

“Every day, I help immigrants who fear seeking support or can’t access any support because of language barriers,” said Council Member Susan Zhuang. “What others see as simple problems often become overwhelming without this access. When it comes to gender-based violence, these barriers can be deadly. This is a life-saving step forward.” 

“At the Korean American Family Services Center, we work with Asian American and Pacific Islander immigrant survivors of gender-based violence, those navigate domestic violence, sexual violence, and child abuse, all while facing language barriers, immigration fears, and cultural stigma. Our mission is to make sure that they are not alone. At KAFSC, survivors are met with safety, healing, and dignity. And we do that by providing services in multiple languages, and through programs that are culturally responsive and rooted in trust. We sincerely thank the leaders in the New York City Council who have met this moment and invested in effective services that connect with clients within their cultural context and in their language,” said Jeehae Fischer, Executive Director, Korean American Family Services Center. 

“Womankind is deeply grateful for the leadership driving the Culturally Specific Gender-Based Violence Initiative. This $3 million investment provides critical funding for gender-based violence organizations like ours to offer trusted and culturally responsive assistance to the 2,600+ survivors and families on their healing journey, and to support communities across New York City in rising above violence,” said Yasmeen Hamza, CEO, Womankind 

“Sakhi for South Asian Survivors is deeply grateful to Council Members Ung and Brooks-Powers for their steadfast leadership in working with The Collective to secure a historic $3 million investment in culturally specific services for immigrant survivors of domestic violence. This initiative is a vital step toward ensuring every survivor has access to the essential resources they need on their journey toward safety and healing,” said Kavita Mehra, Executive Director, Sakhi for South Asian Survivors. 

Zeinab Eyega, Executive Director, Sauti Yetu Center for African Women, said “More than just a budget line, this funding from the NYC Council is a lifeline that empowers immigrant survivors to reclaim their lives in safety and with dignity.” 

“At Violence Intervention Program our mission is to serve Latine survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and we bear daily witness to the struggles of immigrant survivors in our city. In a moment when our communities needed it most, City Council stood up for immigrant survivors of domestic and sexual violence by creating a fund that will deliver culturally specific services and care. We are grateful to Councilmembers Brooks-Powers, Ung and Lee, for their leadership in spearheading this initiative and to the entire Council for taking a stand to protect survivors and children to stabilize and heal after violence,” said Margarita Guzmán, Executive Director, Violence Intervention Program (VIP). 

“We are proud to stand with Council Members Ung, Lee, and Krishnan in advancing the Culturally Specific Gender-Based Violence Initiative. At Garden of Hope, we serve Chinese immigrant survivors who often face immense cultural and linguistic barriers when seeking safety and support. This initiative recognizes the urgent need for accessible, community-informed support from people who understand survivors’ culture, language, and experiences.” said Szuchi Amy Tai, Co-Deputy Director, Garden of Hope 

“This initiative is a powerful reassurance that our community is being heard. For immigrant survivors of GBV, navigating cultural stigma and systemic barriers makes the path to rebuilding their lives much more challenging. Culturally specific services are life-saving. They enable us to provide more than temporary refuge; they help lay the foundation for a safer city where every survivor, regardless of background, can access the resources they need to rebuild their lives with dignity,” said Turning Point for Women + Families. 

“Safe Horizon, the nation’s largest nonprofit victim assistance organization, is deeply grateful that this City Council continues to prioritize and invest in culturally competent services for immigrant survivors of domestic and gender-based violence,” said Kelly Coyne, Chief Program Officer, Safe Horizon. “Our city is safer when we ensure that immigrant New Yorkers have access to legal representation and wraparound services. Thank you to Council Members Ung, Lee, and Krishnan and to the entire New York City Council for standing with and up for our immigrant communities at a time when immigrants are under attack.” 

Dania Darwish, the Founder and Executive Director of Asiyah Women’s Center, said “For so many of us— immigrant women, mothers, daughters— survival has meant silence. We’ve been told our pain is too complicated, our stories too foreign. This initiative changes that. It’s a promise that our lives matter, that our healing matters. At the Asiyah Women’s Center, we know what our communities carry: the weight of violence, fear of deportation, the pressure to stay quiet. This funding means we don’t have to navigate that alone. It’s a powerful step toward safety, dignity, and justice on our own terms.” 

Diya Basu-Sen, Executive Director of SAPNA NYC, said “This historic investment in survivors of gender-based violence is a clear message to survivors that NYC sees them, believes them, and will support them. At a time when vital funding for survivors is being cut, we applaud NYC Council for recognizing that this is the moment for us to step up to protect our survivors. This crucial investment in culturally competent services for immigrant survivors will ensure that Sapna NYC and other community-based organizations will be able to support survivors escape dangerous situations of abuse and receive the care and support they need to rebuild their lives.” 

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Contact: Shane Miller, shmiller@council.nyc.gov