Funding freedom: The fight for Victims of Crime Act dollars

Unemployment has taken a nose dive over the past 3 years, ending February at a healthy 3.7% nationwide (3.2% in the great state of Iowa.) For job seekers, the tight market means finding work may take longer than it did last year or the year before. The decrease in unemployment has come with a decrease in the quit rate — that is to say, the number of people vacating positions and making room for those seeking work to take on their former roles. Employers who were begging for staff during the pandemic are now seeing much lower turnover. This hiring slowdown presents a challenge for a demographic we haven’t been hearing much about; those who are attempting to leave relationships that have involved intimate partner violence.

Intimate partner violence, also often described as domestic violence, is often accompanied by financial difficulties. Economic abuse, its own category of domestic abuse, is present in 99% of abusive relationships, and is the number one reason victims return to or stay in those relationships. Employment sabotage, activities undertaken by an abusive partner that impact the victim’s employment, can include everything from repeated calls to the office to causing the victim to be late or miss work. In other cases, an abuser might forbid the victim to work outside the home at all. A person exiting cohabitation with an abusive partner needs access to transportation, to safe housing, and sometimes find themselves leaving with only a few personal items or none — meaning they need to replace everything necessary to function independently. Leaving an abusive relationship is expensive, particularly if you have been out of the workforce and financially dependent on your abuser.

Social service organizations work to support victims managing the emotional and financial fallout and trying to rebuild their lives. Many rely on Federal Victims of Crime Act, or VOCA, and Violence Against Women Act, or VAWA funding to provide temporary shelter, money for deposits on rental properties, transportation to medical appointments, therapy services, child care and more. Over the past several years, VOCA funding has taken some serious cuts from the fed; VOCA was cut by 35% over the course of 2021 and 2022, and is again on the chopping block in the 2024 proposed budget for another 40% reduction.

Amani Community Services is a nonprofit agency serving the state of Iowa dedicated to meeting the culturally specific needs of Black women who are victims of intimate partner violence. VOCA funds comprise a major source of support for Amani.

“Amani Community Services, despite having limited funds, works to help those who are affected by Domestic and Sexual Assault,” said Lisa Ambrose, executive director of Amani. In a community that is already plagued with low income, health issues, and the history of systemic racism that continues to affect our clients, a 40% cut to VOCA funds would drastically affect the services that Amani provides in the Black community across Iowa.”

Systemic racism does indeed play a role in the challenges that Black women face when leaving an abusive relationship. Housing inequities, discriminatory hiring practices, wage gaps, and the lower likelihood of promotion despite comparable or higher tenure and education levels all mean it is more difficult for a Black woman to regain her independence when leaving an abusive relationship — whether or not those examples of systemic racism are intentional on the part of employers and landlords. Implicit bias on the part of individual actors and an apathy for (or intentional oppression of) marginalized people baked into policies, procedures, and the rule of law have created an even higher barrier to leaving an abuser. Tragically, this serves as a disincentive to escape during the most dangerous time in a victim’s interaction with their abuser — the period of time when they are leaving the relationship.

“It has been difficult for years trying to assist our clients. We don't want to turn anyone away. There aren't many agencies in the community that can assist, and sometimes our clients are not eligible for those services. How can we continue to assist if Congress continues to cut funds? What will the clients do?” Ambrose asks.

For a lot of people in this country, things are looking pretty good. Although the conservative talking heads would have us believe we are experiencing severe economic woes, the S&P has reached dizzying heights during the Biden administration, surpassing 500 points for the first time in history last month. Airlines are seeing record traveler numbers, grocery stores are enjoying record profits, and in the face of the electric vehicle revolution oil and gas companies are raking in more than ever.

However, for someone who has been a victim of intimate partner violence and made the decision to escape, the most basic needs can feel out of reach. The social safety net still is reeling from the blow to VOCA three years ago, and are now bracing for an even larger reduction in funds. On Feb. 7, the National Association of Attorneys General sent a letter to Congress urging bridge funding to fill the gap for 2024. The Attorneys General of 37 states (including Iowa), the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories have signed on to the correspondence. In the frenzied lead-up to the election, the rhetoric often becomes the story. This is the time to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions, and not only to their words.

For more information on Amani Community Services, please visit https://www.amani-cs.org/.

Sofia DeMartino is a Gazette Editorial Fellow. sofia.demartino@thegazette.com