Power & Politics: Westchester domestic violence nonprofit calls for review of state aid process
This week's guest is Hope's Door Executive Director CarlLa Horton.
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Westchester-based domestic violence survivor nonprofit Hope's Door is calling for a full review and overhaul of the way the state doles out aid to organizations like theirs.
Executive Director CarlLa Horton released a letter this week.
"We must work together to strengthen New York’s investment in the entire victim services network," she wrote.
The letter comes after a turbulent year-plus for organizations that receive money from the New York State Office of Victim Services.
Late last fall, the office announced how much each organization would receive, including a 32% increase in funding for Hope's Door between 2025 and 2028.
But one provider raised a concern with the procurement process to the New York State Comptroller's office, which reviewed the issue and found an issue with the law. That move forced the Office of Victim Services to rescind the money and restart the process.
In the end, Hope's Door and many others statewide were reverted back to pre-2025 funding, which meant a loss of roughly $300,000 for the Hawthorne-based non-profit.
"Hope’s Door stands in solidarity with our community partners that sustained devastating losses, and we remain committed to working alongside our sister victim services providers, state agencies, county departments, legislators, and other community partners to ensure that New York’s commitment to victims is reflected not only in policy, but also in the resources necessary to deliver life-saving services to all victims who need them," Horton wrote.
Horton said she saw a 51% increase in the number of domestic violence victims served last year, up from 944 to 1,426, despite the rollback on funding.
Horton said an overhaul is needed to ensure critical services like the one she provides is maintained and able to meet a growing need.
A spokesperson for the state Comptroller's office told News 12, "The Comptroller does not establish award amounts or allocate funding among providers. Those decisions are made by the Office of Victim Services through its competitive grant process. The Comptroller’s role is to review contracts submitted to our office for approval to ensure compliance with applicable law.”
The Office of Victim Services has not yet responded to multiple requests for comment.
