In the state of California, 400 agencies including rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelter and non-shelter programs, child abuse centers, and legal services to survivors will experience cuts up to 48%. These programs serve the communities that need it the most. Over 40 agencies will be impacted in Los Angeles County alone.
Without critical services from rape crisis centers, victim survivors and their families will be left without recourse--crisis support, healing modalities, and legal services are being gutted. Calls to hotlines will go unanswered. There will be no place available to refer people that we are unable to serve. POV has already laid off three members of our legal staff, heavily impacting our ability to help survivors legally protect themselves and their children. Non-shelter domestic violence programs, like ours, serve a huge amount of survivors and are part of the domestic violence response network in LA county.
Where will survivors go?
We've spent 50 years building a network that is set to be dismantled this summer. Governor Newsom didn't include funding for crime victim services in his latest budget. We have only a few weeks left to demand he and the California Legislature support survivors.
