VOCA cuts threaten Oregon victim services; advocates urge federal fix, seek $21.5 million state support

At a joint informational meeting of the Oregon Senate and House Judiciary committees, state and advocacy officials warned that a 42% reduction in federal Victims of Crime Act funding is jeopardizing victim services across the state.

Shannon Savelle, director of the Crime Victims and Survivor Services Division (CVSSD) in the Oregon Department of Justice, told the committees that VOCA (Victims of Crime Act, enacted 1984) became the primary federal funder for domestic and sexual violence and other victim services in Oregon. Savelle said Oregon averaged roughly $22 million per year in formula VOCA grants over the past decade but was notified after the close of the 2024 short legislative session that its 2024 allocation would fall to about $9.9 million — a roughly 42% reduction. “This loss of funding truly eats at the foundational services that Oregon has built over the last decade,” Savelle said.

The funding supports a wide array of programs, Savelle said, including…