When Queens Assembly Member Catalina Cruz sat down for an interview in her Corona office regarding impending state funding cuts to sexual assault programs, she did not intend to share her own story. But about a minute into the discussion, the political reality collided with personal history, and she let it out.
“These services save lives,” Cruz said, growing emotional during the conversation with NBC New York. “I know because it happened to me. I was raped.”
Cruz revealed that the assault occurred in her mid-thirties, noting that she kept the experience a secret for years. Her disclosure highlights an escalating clash between frontline advocacy groups and the administration of New York Governor Kathy Hochul over the reallocation of federal grant money.
The Shifting Landscape of Victim Services Funding in New York
At the center of the political storm is a competitive funding overhaul administered by the New York State Office of Victim Services (OVS). The agency divvies out federal crime victim grant money every three years. In July, dozens of longstanding, certified, specially-trained crisis centers that support sexual assault survivors 24/7—including children—were alerted that they would lose their federal funding streams.
According to Emily Miles of the Alliance Against Sexual Assault, which represents 54 official certified centers across the state, a recent survey of 42 responding centers revealed that 30 are losing federal grant funding. Twenty-nine indicated they would be forced to reduce staff, while others reported they would have to eliminate free legal services or dedicated support groups.
What we found after surveying our members was that rape crisis programs are going to be seeing a reduction of $5.2 million of investment in their services,
Miles explained. When centers lose funding, crucial lifelines—such as advocates meeting survivors at the hospital and helping them navigate complex legal and medical systems—simply do not happen.
Janine Kava, a spokesperson for the OVS, defended the administration’s decisions by pointing to unprecedented demand. The state received 316 applications for funding this year, with requested dollars exceeding available federal funds by nearly $500 million. “Never in its history has OVS received that many applicants seeking that level of funding,” Kava said, adding that federal rules and funding uncertainty forced difficult choices.
Severe Local Impacts Across the Five Boroughs
The funding reductions hit individual community programs with varying severity, creating acute vulnerabilities in areas with high rates of violent crime. In the Bronx, Kingsbridge Community Center serves as the only fully staffed rape crisis facility in the borough. Program Director Sadie Mahoney expressed shock in July when learning the center was losing its entire federal grant, which had served as its primary funding source for years.
“Losing a funding stream completely is a little shocking,” Mahoney said. She noted that the cut leaves the center down about 25 percent of its budget in an area where NYPD crime stats showed rapes spiked more than 50 percent in the 50th Precinct earlier this year. Karen Hermita, a certified crisis advocate on call 24/7 at Kingsbridge, warned that delays can prove devastating for survivors who are often deeply reluctant to seek help.
Similar pressures face child advocacy networks. Liz Roberts, CEO of the non-profit Safe Horizon, noted that the organization’s five Child Advocacy Centers—operating one in each borough—are facing a $500,000 reduction. Roberts described the Hochul administration’s approach as “giving with one hand and taking away with the other.” While acknowledging that Governor Hochul recently doubled state Department of Criminal Justice Services funding for programs, Roberts argued the new federal cuts completely offset that increase, threatening prompt interviews and mental health follow-ups for abused children.
A Longstanding Voice for Legislative Reform
For Cruz, the policy debate carries profound personal weight. Her public advocacy spans years of legislative battles. Following her migration from Colombia, she publicly shared on the Assembly floor back in 2019 that a relative had subjected her to sexual abuse during her childhood. In 2024, she sponsored legislation that broadened the legal definition of rape in New York State, enabling more survivors to come forward.
Yet, speaking out about a more recent assault by someone she thought was a friend remained an immense hurdle. Cruz noted that cutting free support services would leave survivors to experience the same “spiraling” and “suicidal” feelings she navigated, though she acknowledged she was fortunate to have health insurance and the ability to afford therapy.
“She has to find a solution,” Cruz said of Governor Hochul. By finally sharing her story, Cruz hopes to push the state to restore the vital infrastructure that ensures no survivor is left to suffer in isolation.
Worth a look
