Recommendation 20260624-008: Emergency Funding Recommendation for SAFE Alliance - Eloise House — original pdf

Recommendation

Commission Recommendation Joint Inclusion Committee Recommendation Number 20260624-008: Emergency Funding Recommendation for SAFE Alliance – Eloise House WHEREAS, Eloise House, operated by SAFE Alliance, is the only community-based, non- hospital forensic exam facility in Austin providing sexual assault forensic exams and rape kits at no cost to survivors, in a setting purposely built to provide: 1) Trauma-informed care 2) Outside the emergency room 3) Free from billing and 4) Staffed by advocates who remain with survivors throughout the process; and WHEREAS, Emergency rooms are not trauma-informed environments. Wait times are long, lighting is harsh, and staff rotate through 12-hour shifts without the continuity of care that survivors; and WHEREAS, The Mayor’s May 5, 2026 announcement proposed transitioning forensic nursing services to hospital systems and BRAVE Alliance, a Cedar Park-based organization with no demonstrated capacity at Austin’s scale; and WHEREAS, Eloise House, operated by SAFE Alliance conducts 600 forensic exams per year, serves 700 survivors per day, host 27,000 SAFEline contacts per year, and perform 95% of regional exams; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC) recommends that the Austin City Council immediately pause the Mayor’s proposed transition of forensic nursing services to hospital systems and BRAVE Alliance and require a meaningful community input process that centers survivors, advocates, and the communities most impacted before any transition moves forward; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the JIC recommends Austin City Council and the Mayor’s Office, in partnership with Travis County allocate a minimum of $430,000 in funding to preserve Eloise House as a community-based, non-hospital forensic exam and advocacy center operated by SAFE Alliance from June 9 through September 30, 2026, and $200,000 to keep the SAFE domestic violence shelter open from October 2026 through October 2027; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City commit to a sustainable, multi-year funding strategy that ensures continuity of SAFE’s full wraparound model without displacement into hospital settings. Wrap around services include: 1) Forensic exams 2) Trauma- informed and culturally responsive care and advocacy 3) Shelter 4) Legal services; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this approach and intentionality reflect Austin’s commitment to investing into services and organizations that protect and support every Austinite, regardless of race, immigrations status, gender identity, income, or language. Date of Approval: June 24, 2026 Motioned By: Commissioner McNary Seconded By: Commissioner Edwin Vote: 10-0 For: Chair Parsons, Vice Chair Benson, Commissioners Afifi, Bondi, Chang, Edwin, McNary, Oliva Martinez, and Sikder Against: None Abstain: None Recuse: None Off the dais: None Absent: Commissioners Kanawati, Laake-Stanfield, Thakkar, and Wilson Attest: _____________________________________________ (Ryan Sperling, Staff Liaison)