A woman contacted the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) McMinnville office and applied for Temporary Assistance for Domestic Violence (TA-DVS) services for her and her daughter. She needed to move as soon as possible because her abuser found out where she and her daughter were living. The woman was having a hard time affording the rental application fees for a new place to live. Previously, financial help for survivors was capped at $1,200 within a 90-day period.

Starting in August, domestic violence survivors can now receive up to $3,200 for assistance with safety related needs, including moving. The increase is a one-time investment from the Oregon Legislature. It is the first increase in more than 26 years in the grant amount for the TA-DVS program. More than one third of adults in Oregon experience domestic violence in their lifetimes. The funding is available when community resources are not. Also, the funding will depend on the individual safety needs and the safety plan developed by the eligible survivor and family coach.

“I let the woman know that now she can receive up to $3,200 to help with application fees and can get into a safe apartment. It allowed her to find another place a little further than where she lives now. Her abuser does not stop. She even had restraining orders against him. She needed to move for her and her daughter’s safety.

“The increase up to $3,200 is tremendously helpful, especially for people who need to flee the area. The previous $1,200 wasn’t meeting survivors’ needs. A lot of places cost a minimum of $1,800 to rent. This gives people more safety,” Michelle Pagel said, a Family Coach in ODHS Self-Sufficiency Programs at the McMinnville office.

Besides moving costs, this support may be used for items such as: rent or utility deposits; replacing essential items left behind or destroyed by their abuser such as clothing, furniture, kitchen items; new locks, security cameras or alarms; and a post office box.

“The funding increase will mean an individual, who previously had to adjust their safety plan by staying put, can move to housing unknown to the abuser. It means increased safety, more long-term safety – rather than immediate short-term needs. Folks flee, then end up with nothing – this grant can enhance stabilization,” said Brittany Zitzelberger, TA-DVS Operations and Policy Analyst, Self-Sufficiency Programs.

Individuals may apply for this support by phone, in person, or by submitting an application. For more information on how to apply: oregon.gov/odhs/dv.

ODHS also provides confidential domestic violence advocates in most of its Self-Sufficiency Programs and Child Welfare offices to support with: safety planning; resources, and someone to talk to.

Please see the frequently asked questions (FAQ) document for more information, and contact TA-DVS policy with any questions.

Domestic Violence (DV) Resources:

• TA-DVS Program Summary
• Find help near you: local domestic violence sexual assault advocates with an interactive map. Search by location, service type (shelter, support groups) or language needed.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233
• Call to Safety: 888-235-5333
• National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673
• National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888

Everyone deserves to feel safe flyer for program awareness:

The Everyone Deserves to Feel Safe (ODHS 2384) Flyer is now available in Arabic, Burmese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. Farsi, French, Haitian Creole, Pahto/Pashtu and Rohingya will be added soon.

Statistics on who is served:

ODHS data shows that TA-DVS is accessed by American Indian/Alaskan Natives, Black/African American, and Hispanic Latino populations at higher rates than other populations in accordance with the Oregon Census data furthering the need to ensure there are available resources to populations who are marginalized and experience violence at higher rates.

Note: Percentages rounded to the closest whole number and 19% of TA-DVS applicants did not disclose their race/ethnicity. The above race ethnicity data for TA-DVS individuals is from SFY 2023 and pulled from ORRAI report #2048. This is compared to Oregon census data for 2020 from US Census Bureau.

Oregon DV Statistic and source:

More than one third of adults in Oregon experience domestic violence in their lifetimes.

Source: https://sos.oregon.gov/audits/Pages/audit-2023-31-domestic-violence.aspx#:~:text=Over%20a%20third%20of%20adults,incidents%20resulted%20in%20532%20deaths