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Action Alert

When funding is delayed, programs are left without the resources needed to operate — put [Read More]

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Funding and Appropriations

Federal Funding is Essential to Survivor Services

Survivors of abuse rely on federally funded services such as shelter, legal assistance, counseling, and other vital services for safety and support.

Together, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs, Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), dedicated funding at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and related programs provide vital support to local domestic violence programs, including culturally specific programs. These investments help ensure programs have the resources needed to provide a comprehensive response that meets the complex needs of survivors and their families.

Federal funding for VAWA, VOCA, and FVPSA serves as core funding for the field and helps strengthen federal, tribal, state, and local responses to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. These investments support core operations, staffing, shelter, advocacy, legal assistance, housing, culturally specific services, prevention, and more.

Desperate Need Remains

Despite the effectiveness of these vital services and programs and the significant progress they have made toward ending domestic violence, providers continue to face budget shortfalls and federal funding delays that create instability. These challenges, compounded by economic strain in communities and growing demand for services, are forcing programs to make staffing reductions, reduce services for survivors, and, in some cases, close their doors.

According to NNEDV’s 20th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report, on September 10, 2025, 84,146 victims of domestic violence received services from local programs. However, on that same day, 13,018 requests for services went unmet due to a lack of funding and resources.

Timely, increased federal funding is essential to meet growing demand and help survivors heal and rebuild their lives. When survivors have access to the services they need, the impact is felt nationwide through stronger public health, lower long-term costs, and safer communities.

Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Federal Funding Requests: Detailed Resources

Key FY27 Federal Funding and Policy Priorities

See the above fact sheets and chart for additional detail on the priorities below and other FY27 federal funding priorities for the field.

Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Funding: $2 Billion Annually

VOCA funds are derived from criminal fines and penalties deposited into the Crime Victims Fund (CVF), not taxpayer dollars. This funding supports over 6,000 direct service providers, including domestic violence programs, serving more than six million survivors each year with essential services such as shelter, counseling, and legal advocacy.

Deposits to the CVF have declined considerably over the past few years, and as a result, state programs continue to experience significant cuts to victim services funding.

Congress must:

  • Maintain VOCA funding at $2 billion annually and work to stabilize the CVF.
  • Reject proposals that divert VOCA funds to pay for other Department of Justice programs.
  • Pass the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act to provide additional non-taxpayer funding to VOCA, from surplus funds generated by the False Claims Act.

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Programs:

VAWA programs are at the heart of our nation’s response to domestic violence. Together, these programs provide a comprehensive response to survivors, delivering lifesaving services that ensure safety, access to resources, and justice for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. (See chart here for additional details on VAWA funding needs.)

Key Asks to Congress:

  • Fully fund all VAWA programs at $1.16 billion in FY27.
  • VAWA STOP ($326M): Supports coordinated community responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, helping survivors access safety and services, while holding perpetrators accountable
  • Transitional Housing Program ($100M): Supports communities in every state in providing survivor-centered housing that helps survivors begin to rebuild their lives
  • Legal Assistance for Victims ($100M): The only federally funded program dedicated to meeting survivors’ legal needs – one of the most requested services among victims and survivors
  • Use congressional authority to block the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) plan to consolidate the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) into another grantmaking office.

Family Violence Prevention Services Act (FVPSA) Funding:

Administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), FVPSA is the only federal funding source dedicated to domestic violence shelters and programs. FVPSA provides shelter and supportive services in every state and territory and to tribes through more than 1,500 local domestic violence programs. This funding is essential in keeping these lifesaving services open and operating.

Despite FVPSA’s success, community-based domestic violence programs report that at current funding levels, they cannot meet the overwhelming demand for services. Additional FVPSA funding is needed to close this gap and ensure survivors can access the safety and support they need. We urge Congress to provide $500 million for FVPSA in FY27.

Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement & Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA) Program:

Administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, DELTA is the only dedicated federal funding source for the primary prevention of domestic violence. DELTA supports statewide and community-based prevention strategies in 13 states and approximately 45 communities, tailored to local needs to help prevent first-time perpetration and victimization of domestic violence.

We urge Congress to provide $26 million for the DELTA program in FY27 to enable the program to expand to additional states and communities.

Domestic Violence Housing Funds at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):

Advocates and survivors continue to identify housing as a primary need of survivors and a critical component of long-term safety and stability, and domestic violence is consistently identified as a significant factor in homelessness. According to NNEDV’s 20th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report, in just one day in 2025, 53,590 adults and children were housed in emergency shelters, transitional housing, hotels/motels, or other housing provided by domestic violence programs.

On the same day, however, 7,495 requests for these services were denied due to a lack of resources, funding, and/or staffing. Dedicated funding at HUD helps communities provide targeted housing and assistance for survivors and implement survivor-focused initiatives and protections.

In FY27, Congress must provide $75 million for HUD’s Continuum of Care Homeless Program to help survivors access safe, affordable housing and rebuild their lives, as well as $15 million for domestic violence and sexual assault training and technical assistance and to implement VAWA.

Protecting and Supporting Immigrant Survivors: 

Immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes often face significant barriers to seeking safety, including threats from abusers who may use fear of deportation and immigration status to prevent survivors from reaching out for help. To address these barriers and create pathways for immigrant survivors to seek safety and security, Congress established protections, including VAWA self-petitions and T and U visas.

However, current enforcement practices are eroding these safeguards and creating a climate of fear that abusers exploit to maintain control and silence survivors. Immigration enforcement actions involving survivors and victims of crime — including arrests, detention, deportation, and enforcement at courthouses — undermine the purpose of these bipartisan protections, embolden abusers, and create a chilling effect that discourages survivors from seeking help.

We urge Congress to require the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to maintain and publish data on asylum claims based on intimate partner violence, as this data is essential for informing U.S. asylum policy.

Additionally, Congress must include report language in FY27 to bar enforcement actions against individuals with survivor-based immigration claims and recapture unallocated U visas to reduce the significant backlog of 249,000 primary petitioners and 166,000 family members awaiting U visas. (See here for additional details on key asks to protect immigrant survivors.)