By Metyia Phillips
SAN FRANCISCO – Chesa Boudin, San Francisco District Attorney, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Airbnb have partnered to support domestic abuse survivors.
The partnership is also a collaboration with The California Partnership To End Domestic Violence (“The Partnership”). The goal of this collaboration is to provide cost-free support and accommodations for residents in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles who have to flee their homes due to domestic abuse during COVID-19.
The Office Of The District Attorney Boudin announced this collaboration through a press release on May 29.
This collaboration builds on efforts that Boudin has already started in San Francisco. DA Boudin has previously “secured free transportation and safe housing for victims of domestic violence in San 
Francisco, including 20 furnished apartments for survivors for 90-day stays.”
DA Boudin explained the importance of the collaboration by saying, “This collaborative effort expands our capacity to ensure that every single survivor of domestic violence in our city has a safe place to shelter. We thank the Governor’s office, Airbnb and the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence for dedicating much needed resources to some of the most vulnerable members of our community.”
This collaboration is also a part of a bigger effort to support domestic violence victims by the state of California, which was also released on May 29. The state is partnering with various organizations because “the State-mandated ‘Stay at Home’ Order in effect, reliable shelter is critical to prevent survivors from being forced to remain in potentially unsafe environments.”
The Office Of The District Attorney and The City of Los Angeles will work with various local organizations to identify individuals in need of temporary housing.
The stays will be funded by Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky. Last month Brian launched a similar program in Chicago.
Krista Niemczyk, Public Policy Manager at the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence explained why the program is essential to people experiencing domestic abuse by saying, “Instead of being faced with the impossible choice of staying in a violent environment or becoming homeless, survivors will be able to begin their healing journey.”
California is one of the top states in the country in need of housing for domestic abuse survivors. The National Domestic Violence Hotline answered 8,371 calls and texts between February 24 and May 19, with most victims asking for housing accommodations.
“Survivors and their loved ones can reach out for support by contacting the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 1-800-799-7233, click “Chat Now” at www.thehotline.org, or text LOVEIS to 22522.”
“Additional resources for survivors of domestic violence in San Francisco can be found at https://sfgov.org/dosw/violence-against-women-prevention-and-intervention-grants-program-0.”
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