Vermont victim-services providers warn of funding shortfalls and federal-grant uncertainty

Advocates and service providers told the Judiciary Committee on Feb. 4 that Vermont’s network of victim-services programs faces persistent funding shortfalls and new uncertainty from temporary federal actions that briefly froze grant reimbursements.

Jennifer Pullman, executive director of the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services, told the committee the state’s victim-compensation and victim-service funding architecture is fragile and that "there's nothing left" in some of the special funds. "This piggy bank ... is the reflection of where we're at," Pullman said, describing programs that are operating with decades-old funding levels.

Why it matters: Providers said funding shortages affect 24/7 hotlines, emergency shelter capacity, legal advocacy and rapid rehousing, and that programs cannot absorb prolonged freezes in federal reimbursements. Sarah Robinson of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence told lawmakers her network’s 15 member organizations rely on more than $8 million in…