Iowa pledges $5.5 million to crime victims as federal cuts loom

Recently announced funding from the state means the Iowa City-based Domestic Violence Intervention Program will be able to hire staff to absorb rape-victim services previously housed by the University of Iowa and open a new, expanded domestic violence shelter next month.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Attorney General Brenna Bird announced Monday the state will provide $5.5 million in one-time bridge funding to keep services available for Iowa crime victims after Congress made budget cuts to federal victims services.

Congress earlier this year lowered the spending cap on the Victim of Crimes Act (VOCA) fund to $1.2 billion — a $700 million cut from the previous year. The federal program is the main funding source for services for crime victims like medical and mental health care, courtroom advocacy and temporary housing.

In Iowa, that funding change results in a cut of more than $5.4 million, a 42 percent reduction in the state’s funding, according to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.

“Without adequate federal funding, states have two options: reduce victim services or find a way to cover the gap,” Reynolds said in a statement. “Victims of crime deserve our full support of their recovery, and we will continue to ensure they have the services they need in Iowa.”

To make up for the cut in funding, the state plans to use $5.5 million from Iowa’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, part of the American Rescue Plan Act.

Reynolds and Bird said the state’s use of the federal COVID-19 relief dollars is a one-time spending measure meant to fill the gap in funding.

Current VOCA funding is set to continue through the federal fiscal year until Sept. 30, 2024.

More than 50 Iowa nonprofit organizations, including DVIP, received VOCA-funded grants to provide assistance for both adult and children crime victims through the Iowa Attorney General’s Victim Assistance Grant Program, according to a news release.

The grant program provided $22.6 million to more than 54,000 Iowans, with $13.9 million in VOCA funding.

Bird, in a statement, said the looming federal cut will have a disproportionate impact on rural communities and small counties, cut victim hotlines and eliminate options for in-person services, including victim-witness coordinators.

“As a prosecutor, I work with victims and see the devastating reality of losing victim services. And spreading providers thin by making them do a lot with limited resources,” Bird said. “ … But in Iowa, we are leading to put victims first. … With these dollars, we will ensure victims have the resources they need as they work to heal and rebuild their lives.”

The one-time state funding will ensure Iowa nonprofits can continue helping both adult and children crime victims with group and individual counseling, and assist in finding and paying for safe and affordable housing, food, transportation and child care, and make referrals to other agencies.

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In Iowa City

Alta Medea, director of community engagement at Domestic Violence Intervention Program, said VOCA funding makes up about 25 percent of DVIP’s budget. The nonprofit offers services for victims of intimate partner violence

“We’re extremely grateful for the support and commitment form the Attorney General’s Office and Gov. Reynolds,” Medea said. “This means we will be able to hire the staffing that we need for our services for sexualized violence and intimate partner violence.”

The gap funding from the state removes uncertainty over how much federal money the domestic violence agency would receive to help with the transition of the UI’s Rape Victim Advocacy Program to DVIP, she said.

“This means that we have a lot more answers and are able to move forward to hire staff needed for new programming and ensuring we have staffing for our new, expanded emergency shelter slated to open in late August,” Medea said. “This means victim survivors that would have gone unserved or underserved now will receive services.”

Medea said the bridge funding provides victim service providers the much needed support to provide life saving services to victim-survivors.

“The VOCA funding cuts impact nearly 250 sexual violence victim-survivors and 350 intimate partner violence victim-survivors of the 2,400 individuals DVIP serves annually,” DVIP said in a statement. “They deserve better.”

During this year’s Iowa legislative session, Democrats offered an amendment voted down by Republicans to provide state funding to cover the cut in federal funding to victim services.

Rep. Brian Lohse, a Republican from Bondurant who is chairman of the justice system appropriations subcommittee, said the Attorney General’s Office and various groups were working with members of Iowa’s congressional delegation to replenish the funds.

Should Congress not come through, Lohse said the intention was for state lawmakers to provide emergency funding “as quickly as possible” next year.

Lohse did not immediately return a call seeking comment Tuesday afternoon.

While relieved by Monday’s announcement, Medea said additional funding still is needed across the state “to give victims the support, the services and advocacy they need to have a safer future, but this a step in the right direction.”

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In Cedar Rapids

Penny Galvin, director of the survivors' program at Waypoint Services in Cedar Rapids, commended Reynolds and Bird for the stopgap funding.

Waypoint provides two VOCA-funded programs that assist victims and survivors of domestic violence and provide support to individuals who have lost a family member to homicide. Support also is given to victims of other violent felonies, such as kidnapping, robbery and attempted murder.

Thanks to the state’s intervention, Galvin said the nonprofit is able to mostly or wholly avoid a 41 percent funding cut that could have led to staff layoffs.

Echoing Bird, Galvin said the looming federal cut would have severely limited the services Waypoint provides to families in rural communities.

Galvin, along with four other staffers, offer services in a 14-county region. Of those 14 counties, 12 are rural.

They provide support groups, home visits, crisis counseling and help with funeral arrangements. They also accompany victims to court hearings and trials, aid in writing victim impact statements, and set up appointments and attending meetings between law enforcement and the prosecutor's office and the victim.

Additionally, they help individuals apply crime victims compensation, which is also VOCA-funded, to help cover funeral expenses and lost wages.

“So much of that would have been cut out in our rural areas,” Galvin said.

The gap funding buys Waypoint and other Iowa nonprofits another year to push federal lawmakers to increase funding, raise additional funds and streamline services.

“We really appreciate Attorney General Bird pushing for this with the governor, and for the governor’s support,” Galvin said. “What that says to me is Iowa values our victims and wants to support them.”

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