OC domestic violence shelters reel as federal grants dry up

Orange County's four federally funded domestic violence shelters are scaling back services and watching hotline calls fall as the Trump administration conditions federal grants on policies that conflict with California law, Voice of OC reported Tuesday.

The turmoil threatens Radiant Futures, Human Options, Laura's House and Interval House — the four federally supported shelters in Orange County — at a moment when fear of immigration enforcement is already deterring some of the most vulnerable residents from calling for help.

Radiant Futures has lost approximately $470,000 in federal funding compared to the previous year, according to Voice of OC. The agency depends on federal grants for roughly 70 percent of its operating budget. Chief Executive Mark Lee said the drop has already reached survivors. "Just a few months ago, we saw a significant drop to our 24/7 hotline number and we can only pin it to the fact that people are just afraid to even pick up the phone and just call us due to widespread fear, especially among our undocumented immigrant community," Lee said.

Human Options, which runs on an annual budget of just under $8 million with 60 percent from government sources, has seen a parallel decline in Santa Ana-area centers. "We have definitely seen a drop in calls, or a drop in individuals who are walking into our walk-in centers that are located in communities like Santa Ana, which I think speaks to some hesitation in accessing services," said Chief Executive Maricela Rios-Faust.

Voice of OC opened its report with the story of Arianna Smith, a domestic violence survivor who fled an abuser and found refuge at a shelter called WisePlace. "I remember the hotel manager said 'you got to get out, I don't care,'" Smith said. "I just remember thinking, 'Oh, my God, it's over.' Everything that I've been through, all this back and forth for years." The report said WisePlace lost nearly $1 million in federal funding attributed to Trump administration policies.

The central dispute involves the Victims of Crime Act, or VOCA, grant program, which accounts for about 50 percent of grant awards for California domestic violence shelters. The Trump administration sought to require shelters to verify clients' immigration status and to certify they would not promote certain diversity, equity and inclusion programs. A state lawsuit blocked the immigration-status condition, protecting an estimated $165 million in VOCA funding for California, and a separate lawsuit blocked the DEI certification requirement. Still, Krista Colón, executive director of the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, said shelters remain caught in conflicting rules. "Programs have really grappled with a lot of uncertainty," Colón said, citing staff caught in "fear and confusion about how to navigate what can feel like shifting priorities while also holding true to the statutes that require that they serve people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity," according to Voice of OC.

On the ground, agencies are making quiet adjustments. Lee said Radiant Futures moved the cost of a DEI consultant from its federal contracts to private fundraising to avoid jeopardizing grants. "There's a lot of confusion, and even our program officers at the state level didn't have a lot of the answers because they're also very confused. We decided that it might be the safest route to not cover it on their contracts," he said. He added that the public-messaging challenge is just as daunting: "I think our voice is kind of muddled in educating our community that if you're in an unsafe situation at home, we are still here for you. That kind of gets lost."

California victim-services advocates are pushing state lawmakers to include $100 million in emergency backfill funding in the 2026-27 budget to replace lost federal dollars. California provided $103 million in temporary VOCA backfill in 2024 and $100 million in 2025, but Gov. Gavin Newsom's January budget proposal did not include a third round. "The immediate need is making sure that survivors understand that there's currently services being offered, and that for us, our priority is making sure that they're safe and that they have a place to heal, while also keeping an eye toward the future," Rios-Faust said.