26-02-2025
Advocates: More state funding needed for victims of domestic violence
LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — Agencies that support victims of domestic violence were outside the Michigan capitol building Tuesday to urge more funding for domestic violence services.
The efforts are a part of legislative advocacy day for the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, according to Rachel VerWys of Safe Haven Ministries.
'Critical resources are needed to create safety planning to offer those experiencing abuse and violence a way to healing. We are facing funding shortages through our grant funding and we need the state of Michigan to commit budget resources to make up that gap in funding,' explained VerWys.
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Currently, funding for domestic violence support programs comes partially from a federal fund called the Victim of Crime Act Money, VerWys said.
'Over a number of years, that funding bucket has dropped to such a critical level that unless the state of Michigan committed to offset that gap, we would have already experienced shortfalls. Thankfully, our state has started to commit to add our own state budgetary resources to this pool of funding to support survivors,' VerWys explained.
But she says it's not enough. So far, $50 million of the upcoming state budget has been allocated for victims of domestic violence but the coalition is calling for $75 million, saying more money is needed to meet increased demand.
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'If agencies do not get this funding, that will create such a shortfall that services will shut down in different parts of our communities across the state of Michigan and survivors will suffer. They will lose access to safety planning, to safe shelter, to crisis support, to legal advocacy, to really the essentials that we need to keep our communities safe from those who do harm,' VerWys said.
The risk of domestic violence has increased in recent years because of housing crises and rising cost of living, and is expected to keep growing, according to MCEDSV.
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