Today, Council Member Kamin joined Mayor Sylvester Turner, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, and several nonprofit and corporate partners to launch a city-wide domestic violence awareness initiative. This initiative is in response to the increase in reports of domestic violence in Houston, as many victims are homebound with their abusers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Chair of the City Council Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee, Council Member Kamin spearheaded this initiative, working closely with Minal Patel Davis, Special Advisor to the Mayor on Human Trafficking; HPD and OEM; the Houston Area Women’s Center; Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, and Houston Endowment. Community partners including the Houston Dash, Houston Food Bank, H-E-B, and Uber are also supporting this effort.

“While we may be apart, no victim of domestic abuse is alone,” said Council Member Kamin. “We recognize that many people around our city feel alone right now, and we are here for you. I am grateful to the Mayor for his leadership, and deeply appreciative of our community partners who continue to step up and have made this effort possible. Our message is clear: Domestic violence will not be tolerated, and I thank our law enforcement officers for protecting the most vulnerable. I am calling on all Houstonians to help us amplify this message. With your help, we can reach those in need.”

NOCOVIDABUSE is a social media and awareness campaign to let victims of abuse know how and who to reach out to for assistance, including 911 if they are in immediate danger. The campaign will share safety tips, the 24/7 domestic violence hotline 713-528-2121, and a new website, NoCovidAbuse.org. In addition to social media, the Houston Office of Emergency Management will use their text and email alert system to share this message, and the Houston Food Bank will place domestic violence resource flyers in distributed boxes and bags of food. The flyers are being paid for in large part by H-E-B. The Houston Dash are going to be sharing videos from players to help spread the word.

To address the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the City is working with coalition partners to respond to the increased needs, ensuring that survivors will have access to temporary hotel lodging and domestic violence services as shelters have limited capacity as they continue to maintain social distancing requirements. Uber is providing free rides for anyone in need of these services.

For more information, resources, and referrals for services, please visit NoCOVIDAbuse.org.