Survivors, advocates, lawmakers, law enforcement, and program leaders warn that stagnant funding is forcing service reductions across Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, PA – Survivors, advocates, lawmakers, law enforcement officials, and service providers gathered in the Pennsylvania State Capitol Rotunda Tuesday to demand increased state funding for the programs that help survivors of domestic and sexual violence find safety, healing, and support.
The “United for Survivors” rally brought together the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV), the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR), and local programs from across the Commonwealth with a shared message for state leaders: Pennsylvania must invest in the services survivors rely on.
PCADV is calling for an $8 million increase to the Department of Human Services domestic violence line item, bringing total funding to $31.063 million. PCAR is requesting a $12.5 million increase to the DHS rape crisis line item, bringing total funding to $25.217 million.
Years of stagnant funding, rising operating costs, workforce shortages, federal funding reductions, and the lasting effects of Pennsylvania’s 135-day budget impasse have pushed programs to a breaking point. Programs continued answering crisis calls, providing shelter and counseling, accompanying survivors to hospitals and courtrooms, and supporting families while state funding was delayed.
The financial pressure is already changing what programs can offer. Prevention and community education programs are frequently among the first services reduced when funding falls short. These programs give children and young people the tools to understand consent, recognize harmful behavior, establish healthy boundaries, and treat one another with respect.
“We model and teach kids how to treat people from a very young age,” said state Rep. Nikki Rivera. “We couldn’t do more for our kids than teach them, from a very early age, how to treat one another.”
The consequences of underfunding extend throughout entire communities. When domestic violence programs and rape crisis centers cannot recruit and retain advocates, hospitals lose trained partners who support patients following violence. Law enforcement agencies lose trusted organizations that can provide immediate connections to services. Courts lose advocates who help survivors understand complicated legal systems and remain engaged throughout a case.
“I can simply say that we need someone there to pick up the phone,” said Lt. Rodger Ollis of the City of Coatesville Police Department. “A quick transfer or warm handoff to lifesaving services is paramount. If no one is there to pick up the phone, someone is left waiting, and that wait time is dangerous.”
That immediate connection can determine whether a survivor receives help during a critical moment. Survivors reach out on their own timelines, sometimes immediately following violence and sometimes after carrying the trauma for years. Programs must have the staffing and resources to respond whenever that moment comes.
“For some survivors, that means reaching out immediately. For others, it takes months or years,” said Mae-ling Kranz, CEO of Transitions of PA. “Trauma does not operate on a schedule. Support shouldn’t either.”
Program leaders warned that continued underfunding will lead to deeper staffing shortages, longer waits, fewer prevention programs, limited housing options, and reduced access to counseling, advocacy, and other essential services.
“It’s time for legislators to stand with us, to invest in us, and ensure that every victim, in every corner of this state, has access to the advocates who can help them rebuild their lives,” said Audia Boyles, CEO of Alice Paul House.
The rally centered the voices of survivors, including Maria Gardner, a survivor who received support from Pittsburgh Action Against Rape in Allegheny County. Gardner reminded lawmakers that survivors and advocates have repeatedly communicated what communities need. The question now is whether state leaders will respond.
“These coalitions, they hear you. Rape crisis centers and domestic violence programs, they hear you. And yes, our governing bodies hear you, too,” Gardner said. “We have not been quiet, and policymakers are listening. Now it is a matter of whether they care enough to act.”
Lawmakers participating in the rally emphasized that funding survivor services is a responsibility of state government and an investment in the strength and safety of Pennsylvania communities.
“As legislators, we have a responsibility to ensure that survivors have access to the services and support they need,” said state Rep. Carol Hill-Evans. “Investing in these services strengthens families, supports community well-being, and helps ensure that assistance is available when it is needed most.”
As negotiations over Pennsylvania’s FY 2026-27 budget continue, PCADV, PCAR, and their statewide networks are urging the General Assembly and Governor Josh Shapiro to include the requested increases in the final budget.
“The choices made this budget cycle will be felt far beyond the walls of the Capitol,” said state Rep. Carol Hill-Evans. Those choices will determine whether an advocate is available when a survivor calls a crisis hotline, whether a family fleeing violence can find safety, whether a child learns how to recognize abuse, and whether hospitals, police departments, and courts have trusted community partners ready to respond.
Survivors and programs have continued showing up through funding delays, staffing shortages, and growing demand. Pennsylvania must show up for them.
The cost of inaction will be paid by survivors.
###