SAFV Funding Gap
Dear Editor: Alaska has some of the highest rates of domestic violence and sexual assault in the country. The Alaska Victimization Survey that was conducted in 2020 showed that 57.7% of women reported having experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence or both in their lifetime. The Council of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault conducted another survey that showed 30.2% of men have experienced one or both of these forms of abuse in their lifetimes.
Despite this, currently there is a $4 million gap in the grants line in the Alaska State Budget for CDVSA which funds all of the domestic violence and sexual assault shelters and victims support agencies in the state including SAFV. This would likely lead to a 20% cut to all victim services providers in the state starting July 1.
If SAFV receives a 20% cut from CDVSA, which is our primary source of grant funding, victim’s services would decrease to basic shelter operations, and the more robust systems advocacy and response would largely decline. Additional support services for clients including providing airfare for those fleeing violence and needing to relocate would also cease.
Rep. Rebecca Himschoot introduced amendments in the House Finance Committee to restore funding to victim’s services, but the amendments did not pass. If you support the need for victim’s services in Sitka and our larger state, please help us shed light on this issue.
SAFV’s staff and board would like to express gratitude to Rep. Himschoot for taking active steps to mend CDVSA’s budget decrement, to the Alaska Beacon for their story on this issue, and to the Daily Sitka Sentinel for sharing coverage on this issue in Wednesday’s edition.
Natalie Wojcik
Executive Director
Sitkans Against Family Violence
