Image by RohappyOPINION – A bill in the California Assembly — AB2432 — proposes short-term and long-term solutions to housing for victims of domestic violence. By supporting these efforts and continuing to commit to providing flexible funding through Domestic Violence Housing First, we can prevent devastation from these funding cuts.
Image by OPINION – California has experienced an alarming decline in available dollars for the Crime Victims Fund. These sharp drops in funding for California nonprofits will directly result in victims of crime not being able to access much-needed services.
Photo illustration of a sexual assault survivor: (Image: Joe Techapanupreeda, via Shutterstock)Despite a continued rise in California’s cost of living and the increase in the centers’ operating expenses, the state’s general fund contribution to its 84 rape crisis centers remains at $45,000 and $1.7 million from the State Penalty Fund, far less than the funding from the federal government through Congressional appropriations.
California’s 84 rape crisis centers are in a funding crisis. While California has experienced a steady rise in the number of reported rapes (over 5% per year since 2015), the state’s annual General Fund contribution to rape crisis centers over the past decade has been a miniscule $45,000.