HHS Announces $62 Million to Fund Battered Women's Shelters

HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala along with Vice President Gore today announced the release of $62 million in grants to help develop and support shelters for women who are victims of domestic violence.

The Battered Women Shelter grants, authorized by the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, will fund shelters and support counseling, legal advocacy, emergency transportation, child care, referrals for medical care and substance abuse, and other services for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. Grants will be awarded to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.

for California

"The days of domestic violence being just 'a family matter' are over," said Secretary Donna Shalala. "It's a community matter, it's a criminal justice matter, and it matters to our nation."

"Domestic violence threatens lives, destroys relationships, and breaks apart families," said Olivia A. Golden, HHS assistant secretary for children and families. "Among the most tragic effects of family violence is the cycle of abuse that may be perpetuated by children and teenagers who see and experience brutality at home."

HHS' FY 1999 budget includes a total of $190 million for programs that address violence against women. Among the items funded are $45 million for grants to states for rape prevention and education programs; $15 million for programs to reduce sexual abuse among runaway, homeless and street youth; $6 million for coordinated community action programs; and $1.2 million for the National Domestic Abuse Hotline. The hotline, which began its fourth year of operation last week, logs about 100,000 calls a year.

Each year, an estimated 2.1 million U.S. women are raped and/or physically assaulted. Because some of these women experience victimization more than once, this means that an estimated 876,000 rapes and 5.9 million physical assaults are perpetrated against U.S. women annually.

In addition to the personal burden domestic violence causes, the financial burdens run into the billions of dollars. A 1996 National Institute of Justice study estimates the costs at more than $100 billion a year, including $67 billion from domestic violence against adults and $32 billion from child abuse as well as additional costs for law enforcement and the judicial system.

Grants released today represent 70 percent of the $88.8 million total amount available for family violence prevention and services in 1999, a fourfold increase in funding since 1993. For FY 2000, the President has proposed a $13.5 million increase to $102.3 million, which is expected to serve an additional 40,000 survivors of domestic violence.

The grants are being distributed to each state and territory on the basis of its population. No state will receive less than $400,000; territories will receive amounts equal to one-eighth of one percent of the total amount available for the year ($88,800).

The state and territorial grant amounts released today follow.

Alabama $ 935,096

Alaska 400,000

Arizona 969,016

Arkansas 549,284

California 6,976,129

Colorado 836,619

Connecticut 716,477

Delaware 400,000

District of Columbia 400,000

Florida 3,151,272

Georgia 1,609,118

Hawaii 400,000

Idaho 400,000

Illinois 2,592,578

Indiana 1,278,235

Iowa 624,127

Kansas 562,852

Kentucky 849,968

Louisiana 952,166

Maine 400,000

Maryland 1,109,948

Massachusetts 1,333,163

Michigan 2,099,535

Minnesota 1,019,349

Mississippi 594,365

Missouri 1,172,755

Montana 400,000

Nebraska 400,000

Nevada $ 400,000

New Hampshire 400,000

New Jersey 1,748,081

New Mexico 400,000

New York 3,979,576

North Carolina 1,602,553

North Dakota 400,000

Ohio 2,445,081

Oklahoma 722,385

Oregon 701,158

Pennsylvania 2,638,315

Puerto Rico 837,494

Rhode Island 400,000

South Carolina 809,483

South Dakota 400,000

Tennessee 1,164,220

Texas 4,185,940

Utah 437,677

Vermont 400,000

Virginia 1,460,746

Washington 1,210,833

West Virginia 400,000

Wisconsin 1,129,206

Wyoming 400,000

American Samoa 88,800

Guam 88,800

Northern Marianna Is 88,800

Virgin Islands 88,800

Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Contact: Michael Kharfen, (202) 401-9215