A task force, led by Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa, came out with a list of 10 proposals on Thursday to better help connect domestic violence survivors with resources in their community. 

Calls to the State Domestic Hotline number spiked 33 percent this April compared to last year, according to data released by the executive office. 

In upstate New York, shelter occupancy rates rose 19 percent in that same time frame. 

The rise in reported cases came as millions of New Yorkers were asked to stay home in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus -- leaving victims often in the same shared space as their abusers. 

The recommendations includes using new technology to reach more people, incorporate a permanent text componet to the State Domesitic and Sexual Violence Hotline, and diverse ads raising awareness about domestic abuse throught different cultural ads. 

One proposal recommends designating a portion of one staff member's salary to be used for "housing navigation services," helping survivors find a place to stay. 

"Domestic violence has been a pervasive problem in our society, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the situation and exposed the limitations of our traditional systems and methods," DeRosa said.

Other recommendations include removing the requirement that domestic violence survivors file a police report in order to access the Victims of Crime Act funding and launching a pilot program to identify victims whose credit has been ruined as a result of their abuse. 

Governor Andrew Cuomo accepted in full all ten proposals shortly after they were released.