Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault cannot achieve safety unless they are able to acquire adequate resources and income to escape their assailants and remain independent. This requires both short-term economic supports and long-term advocacy for development of employment skills, matriculation in higher education, acquisition of essential assets, permanent housing, government benefits, and reparations.
The primary purpose of the BESS project Consortium is to enhance and sustain systems to achieve economic security for survivors of stalking, dating violence, sexual assault, and domestic violence in the Northeast.
The Consortium will build the capacity of state domestic and sexual violence coalitions to collaborate with each other and with institutions of higher education and Community Action Program agencies through in-person meetings with state coalitions, listservs, monthly teleconferences on economic security issues, webinars, and technical assistance to state coalitions.