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Domestic violence advocates urge restoration of state funding as federal grants fall
Summary
Domestic violence programs across New Jersey told the committee that proposed state cuts plus reductions in federal VOCA and other grants would force shelter closures and service reductions. Survivors and program leaders urged restoring $2.2 million the legislature added in FY25 and an additional $2 million for crisis response teams.
Lede Domestic violence programs and survivors told the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee that state and federal funding uncertainty is already straining emergency shelter, hotline and court‑based crisis response services, and they asked the Legislature to restore and increase state support.
Nut graf Witnesses said that local programs absorbed large caseload increases in 2024, that federal victim‑services grants are unstable, and that the governor’s proposed budget reductions would force program cuts that leave survivors without safety and resources.
Body Nicole Morello, executive director of the New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence, asked the committee to restore the $2,200,000 the legislature added in FY25 and to add $2,000,000 to support crisis response teams that operate in emergency rooms and police stations across the state. She said a federal funding shortfall (VOCA reductions) would otherwise force drastic local cuts.
Multiple program directors — including representatives from JBWS (Morris County), Volunteers of America, and other shelters — described unprecedented demand: higher hotline volumes, more emergency shelter stays and increases in requests for legal advocacy. Jessica and other survivors gave first‑hand testimony about how shelter and advocacy services saved their lives and enabled them to rebuild.
Survivor testimony Robin Hughes told the committee she left an abusive relationship with only two garbage bags of clothing and relied on a shelter to start again; she urged restoration and increased funding. Another survivor, who asked for help at a police station and was routed to an organization with a law‑enforcement partnership, described how the program prevented a recurrence and led to employment and stability.
Ending Domestic violence advocates urged the committee to preserve and expand state funding for shelters, crisis response teams and legal supports as federal grants decline, saying investments prevent higher downstream costs and keep survivors and children safe.
