(Des Moines, IA) -- The state of Iowa is providing $5.5 (M) million dollars in crime victims funding, to cover a federal funding cut. The Iowa Attorney General's Office says the looming budget cut would have resulted in reducing crime victim services to rural and small counties. The reduction would have also reduced a victims hotline and in-person services options.
The federal government this year cut $700 million from the Victim of Crimes Act (VOCA), the main funding source for victim services nationwide. In Iowa, that amounts to a more than $5.4 million, a 42 percent reduction in the state’s funding.
More from the Iowa Attorney General's Office:
The Iowa Attorney General’s Victim Assistance Grant Program (VAGP) in 2023, helped 54,404 Iowans and received a total of $22.6 million, of which $13.9 million was federal funding from VOCA. More than 50 non-profit organizations in Iowa received VOCA-funded grants for projects that served adults and children victimized by crime in a variety of ways, including:
- Helping families stabilize after victimization
- Group and individual counseling
- Finding safe and affordable housing
- Financial assistance with rent, deposits, food, transportation, and child care
- Assistance with the criminal justice system
- Referrals to other agencies as needed
The one-time $5.5 million funding is from Iowa’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, part of the American Rescue Plan Act.