News Release
For Immediate Release
Oct. 14, 2026
FROM THE OFFICE OF: Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck
CONTACT: Brad Harwood, Communications Director
206-798-7577 or brad.harwood@seattle.gov
“Seattle Stands with Survivors, Every Step” launched by Councilmember Rinck and survivor service organizations to fund gender-based violence services and prevention programs
Multi-year effort seeks to grow investments into direct support for organizations working with survivors and violence prevention
SEATTLE – Earlier today Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck (Position 8) stood with more than a dozen survivor service organizations, public health and medical institutions, community leaders, and local and state elected officials at Seattle City Hall to announce the “Seattle Stands with Survivors, Every Step” campaign. The initiative is a multi-year effort to grow investment in gender-based violence (GBV) services for Seattle residents including prevention programs, survivor services, and accountability investments.
The three-pronged plan looks at three key GBV investment areas including:
- Accountability for Abusers and Justice for Survivors
- Direct Survivor Services
- Prevention
The initial push for this year includes an amendment to add $8 million to Mayor Katie Wilson’s 2027-2028 proposed budget for immediate program stabilization and scaling of direct survivor supports, including legal advocacy, so that every survivor has someone to walk alongside them. Councilmember Rinck is also introducing a Statement of Legislative Intent (SLI) to require City departments to provide progress reports on the issue to the Human Services, Labor & Economic Development (HSLED) Committee.
"Today, we are sending the message that Seattle will stand with and support survivors every step of the way,” said Councilmember Rinck. “Our coalition envisions a Seattle where survivors can heal, seek justice and accountability, and where the next generation learns healthy relationship skills and support cultural change, so the violence stops.”
Background
While violent crime has generally trended down in recent years, rates of domestic and intimate partner violence and homicides have notably increased.
Domestic violence remains a leading cause of homelessness for women and children, with 37% of families utilizing King County’s Emergency Family Shelter Intake line in 2022 fleeing domestic violence. In Seattle, nearly one-third of all cases referred to the Seattle City Attorney’s Office (CAO) from the Seattle Police Department (SPD) are related to domestic violence. Thirty-three percent of cases in the CAO criminal case backlog are related to domestic violence, elder abuse, sexual assault, and/or stalking.
It‘s also estimated that every two minutes someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. Half of all female homicide victims are killed by intimate partner violence, with Black and Indigenous women experiencing the highest rates.
Despite the ongoing quiet crisis, organizations providing survivor services for domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and child abuse have been underfunded for years and some programs are on the brink of collapse due in part to aggressive federal policy and funding changes under the Trump administration. Some of these include:
- Changes within H.R. 1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) reduced millions of dollars in resources within Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) federal grant programs that fund survivor services and prevention programs.
- H.R. 1 additionally includes changes and cuts to survivor specific housing assistance programs within the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
- Weakening of Title IX rules on college and university campuses that make it more difficult for student survivors to seek investigations and justice.
- Attempts to exclude federal funding to organizations that provide survivor services and emergency housing support for LGBTQIA+ survivors under bans on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). These exclusions are being challenged in the courts, but many small organizations are no longer pursuing them.
In Seattle this looks like:
- Across Washington state, federal VOCA funding has dropped from $74.7 million in 2018 to $17.8 million in 2024 which has weakened a major funding source for victims of crime statewide. While Washington state has made temporary appropriations to backfill each year, this has left programs across the state, including the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC), with a lack of predictable, sustained funding for programs and services.
- Reduced capacity and service hours of the Safe, Healthy, Empowered (S.H.E.) Clinic at Aurora Commons due to loss of $345,000 in state and federal funding.
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New Beginnings is anticipating an up to 75% reduction in federal funding for their Community Advocacy Program (CAP) due to changes related to HUD’s Continuum of Care program. This could mean less availability of survivor specific emergency housing.
What People Are Saying
“Our Coalition is made up of over 30 local programs who show up for survivors of gender-based violence every day. Yet, many people don’t know these programs exist until you or a loved one needs the care and services they provide. The Seattle Stands with Survivors - Every Step campaign supports survivors and the community that shows up for them, not just in theory, but in practice, moving us much closer to realizing our vision of safe and just communities,” said Amarinthia Torres and Lea Aromin, Co-Executive Directors of the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence (CEGBV).
“Upon taking office, I was shocked to learn that I had inherited a backlog of 1,700 police reports involving domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse. We’re making progress, but, candidly, a backlog that’s sustained over multiple administrations cannot be solved without additional prosecutorial resources,” said Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans. “Survivors and victims of gender-based violence deserve a legal and non-profit ecosystem that can respond swiftly, fairly, and empathetically to their experiences. That’s why I’m so excited to join with Councilmembers Rinck and Foster to pursue the resources necessary to support people at risk of harm.
“Survivors of domestic violence deserve a reliable path to justice and accountability. Today, more than 1,700 cases are awaiting review and action by the City Attorney’s Domestic Violence Unit. Behind each of these cases are people who deserve timely decisions and meaningful action, including prosecution where appropriate. We have a responsibility to ensure that survivors are not left waiting for justice. That’s why I’m proposing additional one-time resources in the 2027 budget to help address this backlog and accelerate case reviews, said Councilmember Dionne Foster (Position 9). “I also want to thank Councilmember Rinck for her leadership in championing critical investments in survivor services and prevention. Ensuring survivors have access to the services they need to heal and the justice and accountability they deserve are both essential parts of our response.”
“As youth are stuck on waitlists for gender-based violence services, they are being left with an unimaginable choice: to live in unsafe situations at home, or to flee and sleep on the streets, risking trafficking, being picked up by ICE, or other horrific experiences. No young person should have to make that choice. By investing in the safety of young people now, we can break cycles of gender-based violence,” said Rhea Yo, Legal Counsel for Youth and Children (LCYC).
“At a time when federal funding is retreating, we need our city to step forward. Aurora Commons and the S.H.E. Clinic are more than service providers — they are trusted lifelines for some of our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Dr. Shireesha Dhanireddy, Aurora Commons.
“Gender-based violence is a safety and public health issue that affects all of our communities. No community is untouched, and no one is immune to its impact. It does not discriminate and neither should our commitment to preventing it and supporting those affected. Investing in GBV services is an investment in safety, dignity, equality, and stronger communities,” said Minu Ranna-Stewart, Harborview Abuse and Trauma Center (HATC) at UW Medicine.
"Community programs and civil legal aid are the quiet infrastructure of safety. When unfunded, the harm doesn't disappear. It shows up in shelters, emergency rooms, and courtrooms, at exponentially greater cost and greater pain," said Riddhi Mukopadhyay, Sexual Violence Law Center (SVLC). "Survivors face nearly twenty legal problems at any given time, and most face them alone. Investing in community-based programs and civil legal services is how we make sure surviving is the beginning to healing and rebuilding."
“Victim services have been doing more with less for far too long. At KCSARC, our ability to serve survivors of sexual assault has always heavily depended on federal, state, and local government funding, and that funding is increasingly uncertain. Federal funding delays, anticipated state funding cuts, and local budget pressures are putting critical services at risk. We cannot keep expecting providers to absorb these gaps without consequences for survivors. We need to grow the funding base, strengthen local investment, and build a more sustainable system so survivors can count on support when they need it. We are grateful for Council Member Rinck’s leadership to stabilize the field in Seattle,” said Kate Garvey, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC).
Next steps
The City Council is currently in the middle of the 2027-28 budget process. Councilmember Rinck will submit her proposal next week and formal briefings on the potential amendments will take place beginning on Oct. 27. Members of the public are encouraged to voice their support, including at the next public hearing on Nov. 5.
A full list of public comment opportunities including an overview of the budget process is available on the City Council webpage.
About the City Council
The Seattle City Council is the elected legislative branch of the city’s government. It’s comprised of nine councilmembers serving four-year terms and representing more than 800,000 constituents — seven selected by districts and two through citywide positions. For the latest news and information, please visit seattle.gov/council.
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