The Los Angeles City Council voted to approve a proposal to expand shelter capacity and survivor services for domestic-violence victims during its Feb. 14 meeting, with the chamber recording unanimous support during the roll call.

Councilmember Yorozovsky urged colleagues to back what he called the city’s largest-ever investment in services for survivors, citing statistics including that 15,000 survivors called domestic-violence hotlines after the recent fires but only about 10% could access a safe bed. Yorozovsky told the council the city must expand shelter options and ensure protective orders are enforced, and called for coordinated action among police, the district attorney’s office and shelter providers.

Why it matters: Councilmembers framed the vote as part of a city effort to reduce barriers for people fleeing abusive homes and to strengthen enforcement of protective orders.

What passed

- The council recorded a vote the clerk announced as "trece a favor" (13 in favor) when the motion passed on the dais.

Key remarks and speakers

- Councilmember Yorozovsky (first reference) described the proposal as a major investment in survivors and said "Estamos expandiendo capacidad por trece por ciento" as part of the steps the council would take to meet shelter obligations. He also cited the number of calls and police responses to underline the magnitude of the crisis.

Ending

Councilmembers applauded service providers and the city’s efforts to coordinate police and prosecutorial action with shelter and service expansion. The council instructed staff and partner agencies to proceed with the expansion included in the motion; details of allocations and implementation were not finalized on the record at the Feb. 14 meeting.