Iowa groups who assist crime victims fear 'catastrophic' impact of federal funding cut
Victim service providers across Iowa are worried they'll have to provide less help during a time of increasing need if state legislators don't fill a $6 million gap for fiscal year 2021 caused by cuts to a federal grant.
Instead, the Iowa House of Representatives has proposed that the state maintain the same amount of funding as last year, a little more than $5 million. That money goes to 28 groups who assist Iowa families affected by homicide, sexual assault, domestic violence and other crimes.
"Unfortunately, we just can't afford to backfill all that huge cut," Rep. Gary Worthan, R-Storm Lake, told the Press-Citizen on Tuesday.
Worthan, who chairs the House Justice Systems Appropriations Subcommittee that is backing House File 861, said legislators were unwilling to take away money from a different department.
The Victim of Crime Act, commonly known as VOCA, is a source of federal funding coming not from taxpayers but from penalties imposed on federal convictions and other fines.
In Iowa, the money goes to the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, groups providing services to people impacted by homicide, and the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, among others.
Last month, three leaders from statewide groups published a column in the Des Moines Register calling on the state to provide the funding.
"Impending VOCA funding cuts mean 28 victim service providers across Iowa may need to cut staff, reduce the type of services they offer or close their doors entirely," the column reads.
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VOCA funding will be cut by a total of 35% over fiscal years 2021 and 2022, according to directors of the Iowa Coalition for Collective Change, Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Domestic Violence Intervention Program facing never-before-seen cuts
Alta Medea-Peters, director of community engagement for the Domestic Violence Intervention Program in Iowa City, said the program has never faced a cut in federal funding this large. In fiscal year 2021, when the program will be losing the first 10%, she estimates that will amount to a $82,624 cut.
"It's absolutely catastrophic for all programs," she said.
Since May 2020, the organization has recorded a 28% increase in calls to its hotline each month. Medea-Peters said that, because of these cuts, there will be no ability to hire a second crisis line advocate to answer calls.
Katryn Duarte, assistant director of sexual assault services for the Rape Victim Advocacy Program, told the Press-Citizen the cuts are coming at a time when people in need are struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic and lingering impacts of last summer's derecho.
"We would try our best to go ahead and accommodate, but we will have to look different," she said.
Cuts could force programs to lose between $27,000 to $40,000
The program's staff doesn't yet know how much the cuts will impact services, but it could amount to a loss of $27,000 to $40,000.
"Every time the federal government decides to pull out of a program, we can't afford to maintain it," Worthan said.
Medea-Peters said, despite the cuts for the next two years, there is some hope for fiscal year 2023. Members of Congress are working toward passing the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021. That would divert money from deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements that goes to the general treasury into the Crime Victims Fund.
Hillary Ojeda covers breaking news and public safety for the Press-Citizen. Reach her at 319-339-7345, hojeda@press-citizen.com or follow her on Twitter at @hillarymojeda.