New coordination and support services funding will expand critical resources for survivors
(Harris County, Texas – December 10, 2024) – Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a plan spearheaded by Commissioner Lesley Briones to invest $4 million to expand resources for survivors of domestic violence.
Statistics show the extreme need for increased resources for victims, yet Harris County’s domestic violence response system is underfunded and faces staggering shortages:
- Since 2022, Harris County has led the state in intimate partner violence homicides
- Calls to domestic violence shelters have surpassed pre-pandemic levels
- 75% of people seeking shelter are turned away
- Harris County has only 330 beds for 4.7 million residents – one bed for every 14,000 residents
- New York City has approximately 10 times the number of shelter beds despite having less than two times the population of Harris County
Investing in solutions, advancing justice…