Funding to help Missouri domestic violence victims could be at risk in the next state budget. Governor Mike Kehoe’s fiscal year 2027 state budget proposal requests $1 million reduction in funding to help Missouri’s domestic violence shelter services program.
During a state House Budget Committee hearing Tuesday, Jessica Woolbright with Saint Martha’s, a St. Louis nonprofit serving survivors, explained to committee members what the funding reduction would do.
“Our ability to respond in moments of crisis is weakened, and our survivors are put at even further risk,” she told them.
Woolbright said due to lack of funding in 2024, Missouri had more than 36,800 unmet requests for adults and their accompanying children seeking shelter.
She said the governor’s request would impact the work of staff helping victims.
“Our shelter is already lean,” said Woolbright. “Just 10 full-time staff cover all direct services for a facility that operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And to put that in perspective, on average, a single advocate answers 318 hotline calls and provides direct services to 126 clients each year.”
Jessica Hill, with the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said the statewide impact of the governor’s proposal would amount to 7,385 hotline calls unanswered, 25,842 fewer bednights provided, 1,980 people not sheltered, and 5,160 people not receiving prevention education.
She said the funding cut would result in considerable workforce reductions.
“Reducing providers’ workforces would result in further reductions in services and possible agency closures, most significantly with rural service providers,” said Hill.
Some of the services that she said would be significantly impacted would include outreach, court advocacy, transportation, housing, medical appointments, employment, identification services, counseling, and client pick-ups.
“We are already operating at the bare minimum staffing level,” said Hill. “Losing any additional staff would have immediate and serious consequences for our ability to communicate internally, respond to victims in crisis, and provide consistent, effective support to the individuals and families we serve.”
The domino effect would be longer waitlists, fewer shelter beds, and survivors being turned away when she said they are most at risk.
Both Hill and Woolbright said government aid has remained at similar levels over the years, while operational costs have significantly climbed.
The committee continues to calculate the numbers of Kehoe’s proposed $54.5 billion state operating budget for fiscal year 2027. Kehoe and lawmakers have warned that the state’s budget picture is expected to be tight beyond the next fiscal year.
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