Our Sister’s House used to staff a 24-hour hotline. No matter what time of day a domestic violence survivor called for help, an advocate would be able to help them stay safe. But then a lack of funding meant that hours and staff had to be reduced. Now if someone calls for help overnight or on the weekend, no one picks up the phone.
The organization has been focused on helping Black survivors of gender-based violence for 30 years. But now many critical services it has provided in Pierce County, Washington — which has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the state — have been pared back due to delays in federal grant funds.
Our Sister’s House is waiting to hear back about an application for money that should have been distributed by October 1 — eight months ago.
The lapse comes as the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women withholds $150 million in taxpayer dollars meant to be distributed in fiscal 2025 to help survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking.
The 19th reached out to over 250 organizations and municipalities that had previously received funding from the Office on Violence Against Women to ask how the delay in fiscal 2025 funds and the stalling of fiscal 2026 grant applications has impacted them. The 48 that responded shared stories of layoffs, diminished services for survivors and sacrifices among advocates, who have taken voluntary pay cuts to make sure survivors get the life-saving support they need.
The vast majority of organizations did not want to speak on the record for fear of retaliation from the administration.
The Office on Violence Against Women has distributed $50 million in grants since The 19th reported April 9 that over $200 million in 2025 appropriations had yet to be disbursed. But $150 million is still unaccounted for. Gender-based violence service organizations across the country report radio silence on the status of applications, some submitted over a year ago.
Applications for grant programs that are supposed to distribute funds by October 1, 2026, have not yet been released.
Funding for most grants offered through the Office on Violence Against Women isn’t guaranteed, but organizations should at least hear back about the status of their application by the end of the fiscal year.
This funding has become even more critical as other major sources, like the Crime Victims Fund established by the Victims of Crime Act, have steadily shrunk over the past decade.
The Department of Justice has resisted inquiries from Congress, which appropriates the funds for the department to distribute, about the missing money. On March 6, the leaders of the House Bipartisan Working Group on Domestic Violence sent a letter to the office of Todd Blanche — then the deputy attorney general, now the acting attorney general — urging the release of these funds.
They have yet to receive a response.
“The Trump administration is breaking the law by refusing to disperse funds approved by Congress,” Rep. Gwen Moore, a Wisconsin Democrat, said in a statement. “We know this isn’t the first time but it needs to be the last time. This funding isn’t optional, it’s lifesaving, and I will keep pushing until every penny reaches survivors.”
Senators across the aisle pressed Blanche on domestic violence funding cuts during a hearing on May 19. When Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, asked directly about missing fiscal 2025 funds and fiscal 2026 grant applications, the acting attorney general said applications are coming out on a “rolling basis” and “we’re working every day very hard to get that money out.”
Meanwhile, organizations have been forced to suspend programs and lay off staff.
Our Sister’s House provides services for Black survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and teen dating violence in addition to running programs for court-involved youth. Like all culturally specific service providers, Our Sister’s House is open to everyone, but tailored to the needs of a specific community.
“Our advocates do this work because they’ve been in these shoes, and they know what it feels like, and they know what is needed. Being able to come and sit down with another Black woman who has been through similar experiences, we can help them heal, and that is a lot of what we are,” said Kelli Robinson, the executive director.
She is still waiting to hear about the status of two grant applications she submitted last year. The deadline was July 29; the Office on Violence Against Women hasn’t reported any awardees for that program.
When employees leave for jobs that can offer basic benefits like a cost of living adjustment, Robinson said, those positions are eliminated because there isn’t money to hire someone else. She has gone without pay herself.
“We can’t see as many people,” she said. “Clients call, but we can’t respond right away anymore.”
Our Sister’s House coordinates with local teams to assist survivors at immediate risk of death. But it can’t afford hotel rooms anymore, so Robinson has asked the local YWCA to hold a shelter bed in case of a high-risk situation. But there are limitations on who the Y can accept: It doesn’t allow pets or boys over 12.
Robinson is doing everything in her power to still support the Black survivors who need help. She has been leveraging her personal network to find places for survivors to stay, coordinating with local clergy and law enforcement.
Advocates, including the National Network to End Domestic Violence, have been encouraging the public to pressure lawmakers for answers about the missing millions. In the final hours of April, National Sexual Violence Awareness Month, advocate Stacy Malone helped organize a petition demanding the release of the stalled funds; over 80 organizations and 200 individuals signed on.
Malone is the executive director of the Victim Rights Law Center, which provides civil legal support to sexual assault survivors in Massachusetts. The group is also a resource for lawyers working with young survivors nationwide, specializing in offering guidance on how to support victims who are still in school.
The Victim Rights Law Center’s grant ends September 30. The organization hopes to submit a new application for funds — but the funding opportunity hasn’t been released yet.This delay means the future of a national training and technical assistance program is up in the air.
“I know it’s hard for some people to imagine that a 12-year-old needs their own lawyer, but if they’ve been sexually assaulted by a classmate, and they want to stay safely in school, they need someone to advocate for them,” she said.
The Victim Rights Law Center has fielded at least 65 requests for help from attorneys representing children this year. Over 600 attorneys are registered for next month’s training on how disability accommodations can support K-12 student survivors.
Malone has already had to lay off two staff members. If money runs out by September 30, the Victim Rights Law Center will likely have to sunset the support for lawyers working with K-12 students entirely. Without the center to support them, Malone said, many lawyers will refuse to take complicated sexual assault cases involving minors.
Domestic violence services remain operational throughout the country. Confidential, anonymous help is available 24/7 through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (1-800-799-7233) or online.
