The Crime Victims Assistance Center in Broome County lost nearly $540,000 amid federal cuts in annual funding. The funding would have gone towards supporting victims of domestic violence.

CVAC, which provides support to domestic violence and sexual assault victims, cut five positions in total: two counselors, a legal advocate, a case manager and a staff member responsible for outreach. CVAC is expected to let go of three other positions without additional support. The nonprofit has joined statewide calls for grant reform in order to alleviate the burden of the financial shock of the budget cuts.

“We are now forced to ask questions no victim service provider should have to ask,” said Christin Battisti, chief executive officer of CVAC. “Which services can we sustain? How quickly can we respond? And who do we want to say no to?”

In 2024, approximately $700 million was cut from the Crime Victims Fund, a source of funding for state and local domestic violence support services. Over the summer, the Office of Victim Services cut $19 million from the grants awarded to domestic violence programs, according to surveys by the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

“These recent funding cuts will directly impact my life as a student in Broome County by limiting the immediate emergency crisis response and resources that are available to me,” wrote Giuliana Felice, a sophomore majoring in political science. “With the funding cuts and staffing reductions, students will now have to face longer wait times for trauma counseling and reduced advocacy on campuses such as Binghamton.”

CVAC also serves as an off-campus collaborator with Binghamton University and has joint programs with the B-Healthy Office. CVAC and BU’s B-Healthy initiative held a survivor walk on Oct. 24 to demonstrate solidarity with victims of domestic violence.

Kieran Burke, the president of SEEK, the University’s peer-run mental health helpline, and a senior double-majoring in biochemistry and Spanish, said that mental health resources are critical for students experiencing abuse.

“All students deserve support, and those experiencing domestic violence particularly must have access to mental health resources in a way that is comfortable and effective for them,” wrote Burke. “SEEK is proud to offer peer support via our call and text helpline, available every night that dorms are open from 7-10 pm. Every person’s experience is unique so the resources available to them must be able to meet them where they are. SEEK is proud to be one of those resources and to stand with survivors.”

Domestic violence programs have not received executed contracts and grant awards since the beginning of the contract period in October. In previous grant cycles, some programs have waited up to a year to receive what they were owed. The New York State Office of Victims Services has not explained how they determined what each program would receive.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul restored $11.7 million to domestic violence programs in August 2026 as part of a $36 million addition to the state investment in crime victim services, making New York’s contributions for crime victim services $88.8 million this year. However, services have reported difficulties in receiving finalized contracts and grant awards, despite the new contract period starting on Oct. 1.

New York’s domestic violence programs, alongside Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04, called on the state to ensure services receive adequate backing to relieve reliance on federal funding.

“Gender based violence is rising statewide, especially in our region in the Southern Tier,” said Sen. Webb. “As we continue to see this alarming growth, it is essential that we provide more equitable funding to the organizations providing trauma-informed care, which victims cannot receive anywhere else. Survivors and advocates have spent years telling us our systems are broken. The Crime Victims Assistance Center, or CVAC, provides irreplaceable support for victims of gender-based violence in our area. Rape Crisis Advocates and the larger violence prevention workforce were already severely under-funded, and the cuts from the federal level have only exacerbated their situation. As chair of the Women’s Issues Committee in the Senate, increasing funding for these organizations is of the utmost importance to me.”