FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2025

Press Contacts:

Danah Vasquez, Communications Coordinator: dvasquez@valor.org (323) 719-9301 

Megan Tanahashi, Media & Design Manager: megan@cpedv.org, (916) 800-4856

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Governor Newsom failed to close a large gap in federal funding to support survivors of crime in his May Revise, leaving hundreds of thousands of survivors and the life-saving services that they depend on in dangerous situations across California. Chris Negri from the California Advocacy Alliance and the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence released the following statement in response:

“Governor Newsom’s budget fails to include funding to sustain essential, life-saving services, leaving victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, and other violent crimes across the state in a dangerous situation.

Without state support to level fund what is needed to maintain the current services, thousands of victims will be left without resources to deal with the aftermath of crimes. Survivors will not have access to emergency housing. They will wait months for mental health services. They will not be able to access a forensic exam in the aftermath of rape. They will be forced to stay in their domestic violence, human trafficking, and elder abuse situations or face homelessness. Data backs this up: in 2021 and 2022, 816,000 Californians relied on sexual assault hotlines and advocates, domestic violence shelters, human trafficking legal aid, children’s advocacy centers, and other services by organizations that depend on this funding to provide life-saving support.

Governor Newsom recently urged cities and counties to clear encampments and connect Californians with services without taking into account the connection between homelessness and sexual and domestic violence. The need for stable housing services far exceeds the resources that advocates have to provide them. 22% of unhoused individuals in the state reported experiencing domestic violence, 42% of homeless youth and 25% of adults experienced child sexual abuse, and 1 in 5 unhoused survivors reported being sexually abused while homeless.

California is better than this. We cannot balance our budget on survivors’ backs. As the Legislature and state leaders talk about prioritizing public safety and decreasing homelessness, they must invest in the services that victims depend on. This is not a niche issue: 46% of Californians experience intimate partner and physical violence during their lifetime, with 1 in 20 experiencing physical violence in 2023.

Alongside more than 250 organizations across all counties in California, we call on Governor Newsom, Speaker Robert Rivas, Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire, and legislators from all parties to stand with survivors. We urge them to level fund essential services that Californians depend on during the most traumatic and dangerous experiences of their lives. 

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About the California VOCA Alliance

The California VOCA Advocacy Alliance represents over 200 organizations that hundreds of thousands of California victims and survivors depend on each year. Our large coalition works to advance the rights of survivors of human trafficking, child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and others. We are dedicated to supporting survivors, advocates and communities, and have a common goal of advocating for equitable access to core services.