Reviewed by Heard & Believed · Updated 2026-07-28
New reporting shows domestic violence and sexual assault programs across the country are losing federal dollars fast. If you're worried that support has quietly disappeared, take a breath. It hasn't, though it may take a little more searching to find right now.
Figures come from KUNC's July 2026 Colorado reporting and the National Network to End Domestic Violence's national funding data.
The Crime Victims Fund is not taxpayer money. It comes from fines, fees, and penalties paid by people convicted of federal crimes, and it is the single largest source of funding for local domestic violence and sexual assault programs nationwide. According to reporting published this week, deposits into that fund have fallen roughly 75% since 2018, and more than 200 victim service agencies in Colorado alone depend on it to keep their doors open.
That decline has been building for years, but the reporting notes it hit a new low point in 2025, when Colorado programs lost a combined $4.8 million in funding. A separate state ballot measure meant to help fill the gap has also underperformed, generating about $19 million a year instead of the roughly $39 million originally projected.
The effects are not abstract. In one rural Colorado county, an advocacy organization absorbed roughly $300,000 in cuts, reduced its staff from twelve people to nine, and closed its physical shelter, shifting instead to placing people in hotel rooms when they need somewhere safe to stay. In another county, a federal grant that used to bring in more than $500,000 a year dropped to $212,000, and the organization laid off half its staff.
David Karnes, who leads public policy work at Violence Free Colorado, put it bluntly: "It has been catastrophic." Programs report they have had to narrow their focus to people in the most acute crisis, cutting back on things like ongoing counseling and rental assistance that used to help people stay safely housed for the long term.
This is not only a Colorado story. National data from the National Network to End Domestic Violence found that on a single day counted in September 2025, local programs across the country served more than 84,000 survivors and their children, but still could not meet over 13,000 additional requests for help because of staffing and funding limits.
A proposed federal budget for the next fiscal year would add further pressure, with reported cuts of $14 million to transitional housing grants and $15 million to legal assistance grants that help survivors navigate protective orders, custody, and housing. Advocacy groups have publicly urged Congress to reject those specific reductions, describing them as a direct threat to survivor safety rather than an abstract budget line.
It is completely understandable to read headlines like these and feel a fresh wave of worry, especially if you were already unsure whether reaching out was worth it. Here is the reassurance that matters most: national hotlines have not lost funding in the same way local shelters have, and they are still staffed and answering right now, today, regardless of what is happening in any one county's budget.
If a specific local program near you has cut hours or closed a physical location, that does not mean support has disappeared everywhere. It usually means the path to it looks a little different than it used to, sometimes a phone call or a referral instead of a walk-in office. Reaching out is still worth it, and you are allowed to ask more than one place for help until something fits.
If your usual local option has changed or closed, these paths tend to stay open regardless of any single county or state budget.
This is supportive information, not legal or medical advice. If you need someone now, the RAINN hotline is 800-656-4673 — free and confidential, 24/7.
No. National hotlines like RAINN's remain staffed and operating. It is local, individual programs that are more likely to feel these specific budget cuts.
The main federal source comes from fines and penalties in criminal cases, not new taxes, and those deposits have declined for years. Proposed budget cuts would reduce funding further.
No. Colorado's reporting is detailed, but national data shows programs across the country facing similar strain and unmet requests for help.
Reach out to a national hotline or your state coalition for a current referral. It may take one extra call, but support is very likely still reachable.
Share only what feels okay. We’ll gently connect you with confidential support — no pressure, no cost.
Someone caring will reach out within a day. If you need to talk now, RAINN is here 24/7 at 800-656-4673.