In New York, more than 1,700 DV victims cannot get help on any given day. Why? Because years of inadequate funding has prevented DV providers from serving all those in need. An annual one-day assessment in 2024 found that more than 1,700 people were denied services due to a lack of resources – an increase of 64% from 2023. This is unacceptable and New York must do better.

There are challenges on many fronts, causing DV programs to struggle to keep their doors open.

• New York State repeatedly fails to execute contracts before DV programs are expected to begin their work, requiring these nonprofits to do the work before getting paid. Once contracts are finalized, the state is regularly months late in paying DV programs for their work. DV programs must rely on lines of credit to cover payroll, lease obligations, utilities and other expenses.
• More than 90% of the funding New York State uses to support DV services comes from the federal government. This makes DV programs particularly vulnerable. VAWA, VOCA, FVPSA, HUD, TANF and CDC funding are unstable and facing cuts, and new contract terms limit DV programs’ ability to meet their obligations to serve all survivors, threatening the sustainability of New York’s DV services.
• DV advocates put their health, well-being and safety on the line every day. As frontline workers, they meet DV survivors where they are – at their homes, police stations and hospitals. Despite their years of training, many are paid so little they can’t afford to rent a two-bedroom apartment. As a result, there has been an exodus of staff leaving DV programs. Thousands of positions are currently open.

NYSCADV is advocating for New York State to STEP UP for DV. This includes reducing the state’s reliance on federal funding and instead use state-originating dollars to provide survivor-centered, trauma-informed care to all DV survivors. It includes enhancing services to lower the number of DV survivors denied services each year. And it would ensure timely contracts and payments to DV providers, reducing administrative burdens and ensuring sufficient funding is available to support survivors’ needs.

To advance these and other initiatives, NYSCADV consults with a diverse group of domestic violence service providers, advocates, survivors and stakeholders. NYSCADV holds an annual Advocacy Day and an annual Legislative Day of Action to educate legislators and regulators on pressing issues and to ensure the voices of domestic violence survivors are heard.

Budget Priorities

DV advocates are supporting the following budget priorities to increase DV program’s ability to serve ALL survivors and to support DV advocates in their work:

1) Create $10 Million Emergency Contingency Fund to Stabilize DV Agencies Facing Potential Closure Due to Significant Cash Flow and Funding Issues

More than 90% of the funding New York uses to support DV services comes from the federal government. This makes DV programs particularly vulnerable. VAWA, VOCA, FVPSA, HUD, TANF and Title XX funding are unstable and facing freezes or cuts, and new contract terms limit DV programs’ ability to meet their obligations to serve all survivors. To make matters worse, New York State repeatedly fails to execute contracts before DV programs are expected to begin their work and is woefully late issuing reimbursement for provided services. One DV program has already closed its doors and several others are struggling to meet payroll and are faced with reducing services for survivors. We ask the Legislature to allocate $10 million of emergency reserve funding to ensure all licensed DV service providers can continue to operate under these challenging circumstances.

2) Increase Victim Services Appropriation by $25 Million to Address Federal VOCA Shortfall

Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding is the largest funding source supporting New York’s crime victim service providers, enabling thousands of New Yorkers to access shelter, housing, legal assistance, counseling and more. NYSCADV supports the Governor’s appropriation of $100 million to support 2025-2028 contracts with victim service providers. However, more is needed to ensure all DV survivors get the help they need. We ask the Legislature to increase the Governor’s appropriation for victim assistance providers by $25 million, for a total of $125 million in the FY’27 budget.

3) Strengthen NY’s Safety Net by Ending Competitive Procurements for Licensed DV Programs

Most funding for DV services is awarded via competitive procurement, a process that causes significant upheaval and instability among this critical network while pitting service providers against each other for funding. To reduce the number of victims unable to access services, all funding for DV services should not be competitive.

We ask that budget language authorizing the distribution of state-administered funding be modified to include the following: “For services and expenses related to the provision of domestic violence services, such funds are to be available pursuant to a plan prepared by [name of state agency] and approved by the director of the budget to continue or expand existing programs with existing OCFS-licensed and approved contractors that are satisfactorily performing as determined by [name of state agency], without any additional requirements that such contracts be subject to competitive bidding, a request for proposal process or other administrative procedures.”

4) Increase TANF Set-Aside for Non-Residential DV Services by $6.5 Million to Meet Current Demand 

In the last five years, the number of DV survivors seeking non-residential services has increased 63%. Yet the Executive Budget maintains flat TANF funding for non-residential programming at $3 million, the same level set 26 years ago. NYSCADV urges the Legislature to increase this set-aside to $9.6 million to reflect increased demand for services and years of inflation.

5) Appropriate $3 Million for 7.8% Targeted Inflationary Increase on State DV Contracts:

The Governor announced plans to address the impacts of inflation on certain human services workers. But for the fourth time since 2022, her proposal excludes DV advocates from the mix. DV advocates – many of whom are women, people of color and/or LGBTQ+ – do not earn equitable, living wages, yet have been excluded from prior state COLAs, Targeted Inflationary Increases and bonuses. New York State must value the critical work of DV advocates and staff by providing a 7.8% increase on the total value of their state contracts, estimated to cost $3.5 million. This will ensure DV programs can increase staff wages and address inflationary increases related to benefits, maintenance, utilities, food, supplies, transportation and insurance.

6) Enhance Shelter Access for Single Adult Survivors with SAFE Shelter Act (A3264/S7738) 

The SAFE (Securing Access to Fair & Equal) Shelter Act will expand access to life-saving DV shelter to significantly more single survivors without children, including trafficked survivors, LGBTQIA+ survivors and older adults. Due to New York’s per person, per night reimbursement model for funding DV shelters, DV programs that place a single individual in a double occupancy room lose significant revenue for open beds. In fact, based on the maximum 180-day length of stay for survivors in shelter, a DV program stands to lose nearly $21,000 if they place a single adult in a double occupancy room. The SAFE Shelter Act will expand the collective capacity to shelter survivors without children by ensuring the state provides full reimbursement to a provider when a room intended to accommodate two individuals is used to house a single adult survivor.

NYSCADV also supports these Article VII Proposals in the PPGG Budget Bill:

1) Part C: Criminal Penalties for Manufacture of Ghost Guns and Part

Ghost guns are designed to evade background checks, registration requirements and law enforcement tracing, making them particularly attractive to individuals prohibited from possessing firearms and to those engaged in criminal activity. Penalizing their manufacture closes a critical loophole in existing gun regulations. NYSCADV supports this proposal.

2) Part E: Modifications to Sexual Offense Evidence Collection Kit (SOECK) Protocols

NYSCADV supports the Governor’s proposed modifications to SOECK protocols and supports creation of a working group to make recommendations to improve and streamline the State’s tracking system of such materials. NYSCADV asks the Legislature to ensure NYSCADV, as the designated statewide DV coalition, and the designated statewide sexual assault coalition, participate on such working group.

3) Part H: Support Extension of Certain Criminal and Civil Orders of Protection

NYSCADV supports the Governor’s proposal to require courts to extend criminal and civil Temporary Orders of Protection until defendants or respondents subsequently appear. Temporary orders are issued based on a judicial finding that immediate protection is warranted. Allowing these orders to lapse solely because a defendant or respondent doesn’t appear undermines survivor safety and the integrity of the court process. Requiring courts to extend these orders reduces the risk of further harm and ensures that the court – not the defendant’s or respondent’s absence – controls when and how the underlying allegations are addressed.