YWCA Clark County has warned that domestic and sexual violence survivors in Southwest Washington could lose access to critical support services if the Washington Legislature does not include $21.3 million in the 2026-27 supplemental budget. According to reporting by The Columbian, the organization raised concerns last week that reduced funding would jeopardize its ability to provide trauma-informed hospital responses, advocacy, and survivor support programs in Clark County.

Regional advocates have issued similar warnings. A recent alert published by the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence noted that without additional funding, organizations statewide could face closed doors, unanswered crisis lines, and permanent loss of life-saving services, including YWCA Clark County’s 24/7 hospital response program. That alert is available through FlashAlert Portland.

The funding concerns come amid a long-term decline in federal Victims of Crime Act funding, detailed in a Washington State legislative report, which documents that federal support for Washington victim services dropped from $74.7 million in 2018 to $17.8 million in 2024. This decline, outlined in a state bill report hosted by the Washington State Legislature at this link, has left local organizations more dependent on state appropriations.

Advocates argue that the state’s supplemental budget will determine whether organizations like YWCA Clark County can continue offering domestic violence shelter access, crisis hotline support, hospital advocacy, and civil legal referral services. Wider impacts on community safety have been raised by regional prosecutors as well, including King County officials who recently urged lawmakers to restore $21 million in statewide crime victim service funding. That appeal is documented in a recent report published at Yahoo News.

Locally, cuts would most directly affect survivors who rely on YWCA Clark County’s emergency response and support programs at Legacy and PeaceHealth Southwest emergency departments. The potential reductions mirror a nationwide strain on victim service organizations, as detailed in national reporting by TIME Magazine, which found many groups reducing services due to declining federal support.

YWCA Clark County’s publicly available financial statements, accessible at its financials page, show the organization’s reliance on a mix of state, federal, and private funding to maintain domestic violence shelter operations, sexual assault advocacy, therapeutic preschool programming, and community prevention programs.

Statewide advocacy groups continue to urge residents to contact lawmakers about stabilizing crime victim service funding. A recent call-to-action posted by YWCA Clark County at this page underscores the urgency of the situation.

As the Legislature considers its 2026-27 supplemental budget, the future of survivor services in Clark County may depend on whether the proposed $21.3 million allocation is approved.