The $35 million allocated to address gender-based violence in the 2022 City of Chicago Budget proposed by Mayor Lightfoot is a monumental investment. These funds would help create the safety net survivors need for their healing, health, and safety. We are hopeful this money will provide support for survivors of all ages, fund legal services for victims, bolster prevention initiatives, and assist survivors in securing housing, transportation, food, childcare, and more.

Survivors need expanded services, and the devastating shortfalls that existed before the pandemic have only worsened. In 2020, for example, over 1,200 survivors were turned away from services as calls and texts for crisis support increased by 16%. There have been attorney intake hotline closures of up to 20 weeks and a waitlist of 300 child victims needing counseling services.

Minneapolis, New York, and Los Angeles all invest in community services for survivors. This proposed funding will help bring Chicago in line with our fellow major cities, recognizing that efforts to end gender-based violence must reach beyond police work and include well-supported strategies throughout our community. This proposed funding is a significant step toward meeting survivors where they’re at—especially considering that few go to the police while many rely on organizations like ours as they work to rebuild their lives after the trauma of gender-based violence. 

Though our city has historically failed to invest in community services that stand with victims of rape and domestic violence, the mayor’s proposed budget represents a sea change. We are eager to fight for it. We urge all members of the City Council to support this funding. The survivors within their wards and throughout our city deserve it. 

We hope you will join us by contacting your Alderperson and voicing your support for the 35 million dollars allocated for critical gender-based violence services in the City of Chicago. You can learn more about these funds and the vital safety net they can help build by reading this brief guide or this thorough report from The Network, of which we are a member. 

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This statement from our Executive Director, Kaethe Morris Hoffer, was published September 23, 2021 with assistance from Hayley Forrestal of CAASE. Learn more about our staff here.