In July, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cut $16.3 million of domestic violence shelter funding from the state budget due to California’s $26 billion deficit.
In July, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cut $16.3 million of domestic violence shelter funding from the state budget due to California’s $26 billion deficit. He now plans to restore that funding by borrowing from the Alternative Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund.
Local centers—including Defensa de Mujeres and the Walnut Avenue Women’s Center—suffered greatly from the cuts, resorting to closing their offices one day a week, laying off employees and decreasing services like prevention education and free legal advice. Since July, Defensa de Mujeres lost a third of its $1.2 million annual budget, and the Walnut Avenue Women’s Center in Santa Cruz lost 30 percent of its annual budget.
The temporary funding is meant to prevent shelters from cutting any more services for the next year. The Defensa de Mujeres governing board will meet to discuss which programs will be restored with the money. Introduced by State Sen. Leland Yee, the emergency legislation will benefit at least 94 domestic violence shelters in California. According to Yee’s office, the $16.3 million will be repaid within the next three years.
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