Closing the Gap: State Action Needed to Sustain VOCA Services

On Wednesday, June 4, CSAC joined a diverse coalition – including district attorneys, advocacy centers, victim resource centers, and others – to call for $260 million in state backfill funding to address the continued decline in federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) resources. This dovetails efforts in budget subcommittee hearings in both houses, where CSAC and other stakeholders have emphasized the critical need to preserve this funding.  

VOCA supports a wide range of law enforcement, local government, and community-based programs that ensure victim services remain accessible in every community. In California alone, VOCA-funded programs serve over 800,000 individuals annually. Services include counseling, rapid rehousing, legal assistance, and crisis response to vulnerable individuals of all ages, needs, and locations.

As demand for these services grows, counties and local providers are facing increasingly urgent funding shortfalls. Without state funding to address the gap, many providers will be forced to lay off staff or shutter programs entirely.

CSAC will continue to advocate at both the state and federal levels, and as part of such efforts, strongly encourages county providers to share the effects of funding reductions with their state and federal representatives.