Photo by Senator Yee

Aug 4 Senator Yee announces legislation to save DV shelters statewide.

August 15, 2009 --  On July 28, Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed all state funding for Domestic Violence programs - as a result, several shelters will be forced to close their doors; many will have to cut back on services. Senator Leland Yee. Ph.D. has written two bills to restore this life-saving funding, but they need the support of the Speaker of the Assembly, Karen Bass, before they can move forward for a vote.

The first bill will restore the $16.3 million in funding approved by the conference committee that the Governor has vetoed.  The second bill will temporarily allow more flexibility in how federal funding from California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA) is allocated and used.  The cuts in services that some programs have been forced to make mean they no longer qualify for CalEMA federal funding for domestic violence - a domino effect that is making the Governor's shortsighted budget cuts even more damaging.

CLICK HERE to send Speaker Bass a free message urging her to support this legislation

IMPACT OF BUDGET CUTS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAMS

The  State's Domestic Violence Program funds allow local agencies to provide emergency shelter, transitional housing, and legal advocacy, as well as assistance with restraining orders, counseling and other vital support services.

On Wednesday, July 29, 2009, The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV) conducted statewide conference calls to assess the impact the governor's budget cuts would have on California's 104 Domestic Violence programs.

At the time of the call 3 shelters reported they may close; other shelter-based programs expressed concern about possible closures or drastic reduction of services if other funding is lost. (i.e. CalWorks).

Both urban and rural programs confirmed that their main concern is the inability to provide 24-hour shelter staffing and emergency hotline assistance. In some cases, shelters had already cut 24 hour staffing and/or reduced number of staff for 24-hour service.

The shelters with most impact reported that the State funding covered between 42% - 60% of total funding; in some cases the entire match to CalEMA and 50% of staff salaries. Many shelter directors expressed that they will only have 1 person per shift and that there will be a need for volunteers, but 40 hour training requirements will be a challenge to complete with reduced staffing.

Staff lay-offs were inevitable for all programs. The lay-offs in rural and smaller programs ranged from 1 to 4 ½ full time staff and 1-3 part time staff (note: These shelters had also reduced staff with last years cuts) . Many shelters reported being left with only 1 counselor on staff;  while larger programs were reducing staff  by 50% to keep  2-3 line staff.

Rural programs are especially hard hit, with Sttae funding making up a larger portion of their budget, and large territories to cover without public transportation.

Rural DV agencies that are not considering closing their shelters will be closing satellite drop-in centers in rural areas.  In addition, those shelters that do not have satellite offices will not be able to provide transportation assistance to domestic violence victims.

Those agencies that are not closing their shelters are reducing number of beds, programs and other services. Some examples of the drastic reductions that are taking place are:

• One shelter is being forced to reduce the number of beds from 18 to 6.
• Agencies with multiple facilities are looking into selling one of the shelter sites.
• Shelters already operating on basic services are now considering furloughs to prevent closure and so that staff may also receive unemployment benefits.
•  Urban & larger shelters reported inability to provide comprehensive services such as: children, legal, outreach, prevention, teen programs, Latino women services, among others.

Domestic Violence agencies also requested quick action to mediate support from CALEMA and other funding sources. Since State Funds were received 75% upfront, the loss of these funds will affect cash flow. Many shelters also were concerned on the impact the loss of funds would have on their lines of credit. It is important to note that most of these agencies used the shelter facilities as collateral for their loans; other agencies are now considering applying for lines of credit to resolve cash flow needs. There is a great need to resolve other funding sources, flexibility of requirements and the process of cash flow.

ACT NOW!  Click here to send a free, pre-written fax to Speaker Bass urging her to support these life-saving bills.