DC SAFE

DC SAFE (Survivors and Advocates For Empowerment) has served more than 25,000 victims of domestic violence since 2006. DC SAFE’s mission is to ensure the safety and self-determination of domestic violence survivors. 

In an effort to create an immediate emergency shelter for its clients, DC SAFE developed a program called SAFE Space in 2011. This multifaceted program relies on an intricate set of partnerships between DC SAFE and numerous government agencies and nonprofit organizations. 

SAFE Space is the only crisis shelter in Washington, D.C., for victims of domestic violence that provides certified domestic violence advocates onsite and timely access to vital government and social services. The program provides survivors and their families with a private, furnished apartment in a gated building, clothing, personal care items, and household necessities. 

The program works closely with DC SAFE’s Lethality Assessment Project to identify high-risk clients and devise a client-led advocacy plan that expedites services provided by D.C. Government agencies. SAFE Space has provided immediate shelter and vital services to 423 survivors and 604 children. Rapid access to services such as expedited public housing transfers away from abusers and quick access to funds and other services allows victims to return to work, send their children back to school, and resume their lives. 

Early assessments indicate that SAFE Space clients are far less likely to return to their abuser compared to other victims of domestic violence. SAFE Space provides victims with support, security, and personal space, allowing survivors to determine their own path to safety.