By Harley Tonelli, Nida Javed, and Melissa O’Sullivan, Domestic Violence Staff Attorneys, Eastside Legal Assistance Program
As the three domestic violence staff attorneys at the Eastside Legal Assistance Program (ELAP), we want to express our strong support for the recently proposed budget amendment 030-A that would add $8 million to the City of Seattle’s 2027-2028 budget for gender-based violence survivor services and prevention strategies.
Every year, ELAP staff attorneys and our wide network of pro bono attorneys work with hundreds of survivors of domestic violence in Seattle and King County seeking accessible and trauma-informed legal assistance. Daily, we see the incredible need in our community for advocacy, resources, and support for survivors of gender-based violence and their families. And every day, we see the invaluable, far-reaching benefits of the diligent and devoted work of service providers in our community, who rely on increasingly limited funding to support survivors.
The impact of gender-based violence extends far beyond the immediate need for legal protection. It can affect virtually every aspect of a survivor’s life, threatening access to some of life’s most fundamental necessities: Safe and affordable housing, employment, healthcare, childcare, education, and financial stability. Addressing gender-based violence therefore requires more than any single intervention or service. Survivors need a comprehensive network of accessible resources that can respond to the interconnected challenges they face and support them in rebuilding their lives.
At ELAP, we work closely with the wide network of gender-based violence providers in Seattle and King County. Our ability to provide survivors and their families with legal assistance is directly tied to the dedicated work of our many community partners. When one service provider in our community loses funding, the entire web of organizations responding to the impacts of gender-based violence feels that loss. Our work is deeply interconnected with the work of domestic violence advocacy organizations, housing and shelter services, medical providers, and organizations offering immigration-related support to survivors. These services are not independent of one another. Together, they form a network that allows survivors to access the comprehensive support they need. Because of that indelible connection, we strongly support this proposal’s thoughtful approach to funding the comprehensive variety of services necessary to meaningfully address and prevent violence in our community.
The need for free legal resources, advocacy, and representation in Seattle and King County continues to increase. As federal funding for survivors disappears at an alarming rate, the enormity of this need becomes even more apparent. From 2022 to 2025, the number of civil protection orders filed yearly in King County Superior Court more than tripled. The majority of petitioners seeking safety for themselves and their families through the domestic violence protection order process in King County navigate the legal system without legal representation, often due to financial barriers in obtaining legal advocacy. Seeking a protection order can be an intimidating and complex process, particularly for someone already navigating the trauma and instability of abuse. Access to knowledgeable, trauma-informed legal advocates can make a meaningful difference in a survivor’s ability to navigate the process, present their experiences effectively, and obtain lasting protection.
Through the City of Seattle’s gender-based violence programs, ELAP and other local service providers have already made significant strides in addressing the needs of survivors in Seattle. However, given the precipitous decline in federal funding for survivors and their families, we believe that, as a community, we must do more at the local level. This will ensure that federal funding decisions do not leave survivors without necessary access to the essential services on which their safety and well-being often depend. Sustained and responsive local investment is necessary to preserve and strengthen the community infrastructure that survivors rely on.
When survivors have access to trauma-informed, culturally competent, and financially accessible resources, the benefit extends far beyond the individual receiving services. The existence of available resources and support for survivors of gender-based violence has a demonstrably positive impact on children, families, and entire communities. We may never be able to fully quantify the myriad benefits that result from responding to and preventing gender-based violence. But as legal aid attorneys, we see the incredible ripple effect that occurs when a survivor of violence is supported, empowered, and believed.
Because of the profound impacts of gender-based violence in our community and the rapid decrease in available federal funding to meet the complex needs of Seattle survivors, ELAP strongly supports the Seattle Stands With Survivors, Every Step initiative and the proposal to add $8 million for gender-based violence survivor services and prevention programs to the 2027-2028 budget. The City of Seattle has already demonstrated a strong commitment to this important cause, and we deeply appreciate the Council’s continued efforts to combat one of our society’s most pressing public health and safety issues.
