ALBANY – While the State Office of Victims Services has added $36 million in state funding to service organizations, State Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson (D, Newburgh), says that is a good start, “but it’s not enough.”
He said while the new statewide total for victims’ services programs is nearly $90 million, more than in previous years, it leaves many established organizations with less state aid than before.
Jacobson pointed to Family Services of Poughkeepsie, which serves all of Dutchess County, is facing a 35 percent cut in funding – from $865,000 to $563,000. And Fearless!, based in Newburgh, serves Orange and Sullivan counties, and faces a 10 percent reduction in state funding – from $1.6 million to $1.4 million.
Both of those agencies are in Jacobson’s assembly district.
“We are very grateful to Governor Hochul for recognizing the urgency of the funding crisis facing long-standing victim services agencies across New York State and for acting swiftly to begin addressing these cuts. This is an important step in the right direction, and we appreciate the Governor’s commitment to supporting survivors,” said Kellyann Kostyal-Larrier, executive director of Fearless!. “But established victim service programs have not been fully restored, and these catastrophic cuts threaten essential programming and the staff needed to deliver it. For Fearless! and others across the state, these funding gaps are not simply numbers on a budget line — they translate into fewer services, reduced capacity, and potentially turning survivors away even as demand for support continues to grow. For years, funding has not kept pace with the increasing need for services statewide.”
“While we appreciate the additional funding that has been made available, the reality is that we are still facing a 35% reduction from our current funding level,” said Leah Feldman, chief executive officer of Family Services, which received an additional $123,000 of funding to bring their total to $563,000. “That is not a sustainable reduction, and it will have serious consequences for our organization, the victim services system, and the thousands of victims and survivors who rely on these services each year.”
Jacobson called for an overhaul in the state office’s funding model and distribution. “We can’t penalize organizations with a proven track record by taking money from their operating budgets and giving it to new organizations,” he said. “The funding process must change.”
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