Proposed California budget denies funds assisting Stanislaus County domestic violence victims
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s state budget proposal last week did not include support for crime victim services that are facing gaps in essential federal funding.
An alliance of nonprofit groups made requests for $200 million to prevent cuts to services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse and human trafficking.
At least four organizations in Stanislaus County that assist these crime victims are hoping for the state support as the pool of federal Victims of Crime Act funding is dwindling.
“Without this funding it is putting survivors of domestic violence, people in shelters and rape crisis centers at risk,” said Grace Glaser, public affairs and policy manager for VALOR-US, a California group striving to prevent sexual violence. “The centers will be in danger of shutting their doors and leaving survivors of violence in very dangerous spaces.”
Funding through the federal Victims of Crime Act provides essential support for 380 organizations across California, Glaser said.
The fund was established in the 1980s by collecting the fees and fines derived from prosecution of white collar crimes. Glaser said due to a shifting prosecution style of the Department of Justice and how those crimes are prosecuted, deposits to the national crime victims fund are not what was seen in the past.
In more recent years, the fines are not as high and cases are not prosecuted as often.
“There seems to be a growing need for this type of funding,” Glaser said. “The pot is not being replenished at the capacity needed to support these programs.”
Nonprofit groups that rely on the support have seen a steep decline in the federal funding over the past six years. Glaser said the state of California fulfilled requests to backfill the gaps in federal funding in 2021.
“We know the state can do it,” Glaser said. “They did it in 2021.”
Newsom’s state budget proposal last week was a disappointment for HAVEN, also known as Healthy Alternatives to Violent Environments in Stanislaus County. HAVEN’s services long have supported women escaping domestic violence, as well as victims of sexual assault.
Executive Director May Rico said Friday the funding difficulties forced HAVEN in December to cut two-thirds of its legal staff that assists people with obtaining domestic violence restraining orders. Two of the three staff members were moved to other positions, leaving a single program manager to directly help distressed people asking for the legal assistance.
Those court orders are a first line of defense for preventing an abuser from coming back to hurt a spouse or domestic partner, stalk them or harass them at work.
Though some of the legal work can be parceled out to other programs, Rico said it means a longer waiting time and fewer people assisted in the main office.
If the $200 million was included in the state budget, HAVEN would not be looking at additional cuts to domestic violence and sexual assault programs, Rico said.
“We are still providing the same services, but we are doing it with fewer staff,” Rico said. “From the client’s perspective, there could be waiting times that we didn’t have before.”
Last year, HAVEN prepared 178 restraining orders and handled inquiries from more than 500 people threatened with violence.
Groups bracing for $170 million funding gap
Rico said the funding situation does not affect HAVEN’s emergency shelter for those escaping domestic violence and sexual assault. HAVEN had a $3.5 million budget for the year starting in July 2023.
Organizations in California are expecting a $170 million drop in the federal funding this year, but asked the state for $200 million as wiggle room, Rico said.
Nonprofit groups that help victims of abuse in communities often network and work with each other, Glaser noted. “If the state does not come in and provide the support, we will see a domino effect across the state,” she said.
Glaser said the alliance of community groups will keep pressing the Legislature and Governor’s office for funding to fill the gaps. The Legislature is obligated to approve a balanced state budget in June.
