We are deeply energized by your win, Mayor-elect Mamdani. For years at Safe Horizon, we have known that safety is a human right, and that investment in the safety of survivors and communities is our collective responsibility as New Yorkers. City systems that work for survivors and follow leadership of communities have too often seemed just out of reach—not for lack of will, but for lack of opportunity. For the first time in many years, it feels possible to turn vision into action, in partnership with a mayor ready to think creatively and build systems that work for the people they’re meant to serve.
Safe Horizon was founded in response to the challenges survivors faced navigating fragmented systems. Over time, we have become experts at helping New Yorkers find safety and stability while interfacing with systems that often fall short. Together, we are eager to help build something stronger—systems that are survivor-centered, antiracist, and grounded in trust, partnering with communities that embrace their central role in safety and healing.
While our daily anti-violence work focuses on people in crisis and the trauma they carry, we are constantly reminded of the deep poverty that shapes our clients’ experiences and limits their choices. To be truly survivor-centered means confronting the violence of poverty, racism, transphobia, and more head-on—and making New York City more affordable and livable for all who call it home. We are with you on that vision.
One in three New Yorkers identifies as a survivor of violence. That reality must inform how we govern, how we respond, and how we care for one another. That’s why we were so inspired to hear your pledge on the campaign trail to invest $40.3M in expanded services to survivors.
At Safe Horizon, we believe safety is a universal human right—and that we all share a collective responsibility to protect and uphold it. With 150 program sites across all five boroughs and more than 250,000 New Yorkers served each year, we are deeply woven into the fabric of this city. We love New York. And we believe that together, we can make it a place where every person is safe in their community, in their home, in their body, and in their mind.
Our five tenets
1. KEY SYSTEMS MUST PLACE SURVIVORS AT THE CENTER
Survivors of violence and abuse are experts in keeping themselves and their families safe. Safety, healing, and justice look different for every journey, and often, a survivor’s path to safety crosses public systems, family members, neighbors, and more. A victim of a hate crime or robbery, a mother who has experienced domestic violence and is navigating the court system, and families who have lost someone to homicide or community violence—these are all examples of people who are navigating systems that too often let them down. To get survivors what they need, New York’s systems must be functional, responsive, and built with survivor needs at the core.
2. SURVIVOR VOICES MUST LEAD THE CITY’S COMMUNITY SAFETY STRATEGY
We are encouraged by the creation of the Department of Community Safety, which would represent a major step toward coordinating the kinds of supports that research and experience show actually keep people safe: preventing violence before it happens, helping survivors heal, ensuring access to care, and mobilizing community supports. In addition, a cabinet-level Community Safety Task Force made up of survivors, advocates, faith leaders, family members, health workers, law enforcement, violence interrupters, and other stakeholders can advise on cross-system reforms and generate new ideas for public safety that uplift lived expertise. Investments in youth advocacy, leadership development, and culturally-specific healing networks ensure that survivors have a seat at every table
3. ALL SURVIVORS DESERVE A SAFE PLACE TO STAY AND A PATHWAY TO PERMANENT HOUSING
Stable, secure shelter and housing are the foundations for safety and healing. All New Yorkers deserve access to deeply affordable housing, emergency shelter that has flexible options to meet their needs, and pathways out of homelessness. By expanding housing programs, piloting new models, streamlining communication between shelter systems, and funding supportive services, we can ensure survivors, youth, and families, have the security they need to heal. Safe shelter and housing aren’t just basic needs—they are essential for a safer city.
4. ALL NEW YORKERS DESERVE TO BE SAFE
Safety takes all of us. The work of safety happens in every borough, every courthouse or precinct, every nonprofit space. Immigrant communities and survivors of trauma need services that are accessible, culturally responsive, and free from fear. By strengthening language options, safe community spaces, accessible legal support, and providing culturally affirming trauma-informed care, as well as investing in community programs that center trust, we can create a city where every New Yorker has the resources to stay safe, recover and grow.
5. ECONOMIC STABILITY IS SAFETY
Survivors cannot heal while struggling to meet basic needs: economic stability is essential to recovery and safety. Financial abuse and poverty often trap survivors in cycles of harm, making direct cash assistance a powerful tool for stability and dignity. Flexible financial support allows survivors to decide what they need most, from rent to childcare, fostering autonomy and resilience. Investing in such programs is both compassionate and cost-effective, reducing strain on public systems while saving lives. By embedding direct cash aid into the city’s continuum of care, New York can ensure survivors are able to achieve long-term security and healing.
Together, we can build systems that meet the needs of survivors with compassion, and make New York City the model for survivor-centered justice and healing across the country. Mayor-elect Mamdani, we stand ready to partner with your administration to make that vision a reality.