Savannah shelter, sexual assault center say VOCA funding cuts strain survivor services

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Months into federal Victims of Crime Act funding disruptions, domestic violence and sexual assault shelters in coastal Georgia say they are stretching resources to keep survivors safe.

SAFE Shelter, Georgia’s second-largest emergency domestic violence shelter with 48 beds, says it has been at 90% to full capacity for more than a year. Mary’s Place Sexual Assault Center says it served more than 700 primary and secondary survivors last year.

CEO Lee Robbins, who started at SAFE Shelter in late April, said shelters statewide were notified in May of expected VOCA reductions.

“What that’s done for Safe Shelter is that we’ve had to scale back some of the services,” Robbins said. As an example, Robbins said a partner program providing services through the YMCA was temporarily paused.

Robbins said cuts affect day-to-day support — food, clothing, transportation to job interviews, help replacing documents like birth certificates, help obtaining health insurance and paying for prescriptions — as well as follow-up services after survivors leave shelter.

“The more barriers they experience inside the shelter and outside of a shelter, the more likely they are to go back to their abuser,” Robbins said. “And that’s the consequence when there’s no funding for services.”

Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, which administers VOCA in Georgia, says the state’s VOCA awards have declined by more than 60% due to historically low deposits into the federal Crime Victims Fund.

The council on Oct. 5 released a FY2026 VOCA continuation application for current recipients, due Oct. 30, covering Oct. 1, 2026, to Sept. 30, 2027. It includes a one-time supplement from VOCA reserves to help mitigate impacts. Agencies cannot request increases under the continuation.

Robins said the continuation structure limits relief.

“Shelters can’t ask for more money, which is a creative way of trying to control the loss of the VOCA funding,” Robbins said.

At Mary’s Place, Executive Director Doris L. Williams said the agency is still completing its application and planning around its prior budget until awards are decided.

“When funding is adjusted or fluctuates, it does not change the need,” Williams said. “Last year, our numbers were over 700 primary and secondary survivors.”

Williams said VOCA dollars largely support salaries for staff who provide counseling, legal advocacy, help with temporary protective orders and referral-based case management. When funding tightens, she said, agencies lean more heavily on volunteers and community donations — from building maintenance to reallocated funds.

Case Management Supervisor Latisha Davis said childcare and identifying support systems are among the biggest barriers, particularly for mothers.

“We’re also here to empower them and say ‘hey you’re not alone in this,’” Davis said.

Both agencies say community donations — monetary gifts, supplies such as sheets and toiletries, and volunteer time — are helping fill immediate gaps. Mary’s Place is also preparing a holiday angel tree to support clients.

Advocates say the story comes during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, a time when agencies encourage the public to learn warning signs — including physical, emotional, financial abuse, stalking, isolation and technology-based harassment — and to check in on people in their lives.

Survivors seeking help can contact SAFE Shelter’s 24-hour crisis line.