Committee moves CIFD survivor services recommendations forward after hours of testimony and CAO caution

The Los Angeles City Budget and Finance Committee on Thursday moved forward the Community Investment for Families Department—s (CIFD) recommendations to expand the city—s survivor services system while noting a City Administrative Officer (CAO) report that urged fiscal caution.

The CIFD sought approval to execute contracts and use already-allocated funds to expand emergency shelter and specialized services for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. The committee voted 5-0 to move CIFD—s report, note and file the CAO—s report, and direct CIFD and the CAO to return jointly with options to sustain and fund the expansion.

The recommendation matters because CIFD told the committee it is addressing what it described as a large gap between need and capacity: "We turned away 9,000 survivors when we were doing this analysis," CIFD general manager Abigail Marquez said during her presentation. CIFD said the department received more than 20 proposals requesting roughly $28 million during a July RFP, and that the adopted budget included $6.5 million intended in part as a VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) backfill.

In written and oral testimony, more than a dozen service providers and survivors urged full funding for programs that provide confidential shelter, nonconfidential emergency housing,…