DES MOINES, Iowa — Last year, just over 55,000 survivors of violent crime turned to Iowa's network of 26 agencies for help.
Advocates from Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault say the main thing these victims are typically in need of is safe housing.
"That is the number one barrier to safety, and the number one reason individuals choose to stay in an unhealthy relationship," said ICADV Director of Community Engagement Lindsay Pingel.
Pingel says factors outside of these agencies' control have pushed more people through their doors.
"Eviction moratoriums have gone away in the last couple of years," said Pingel. "As housing prices continue to skyrocket."
ICADV and ICASA are calling on lawmakers to bump up their funding from $5 million to $10 million. Advocates say without the bump in the budget, victims face consequences.
"It's going to create more barriers," Pingel added. "It's going to create time delays in terms of just getting resources to individuals. So we have to invest funds now, in order to keep survivors safe and ensure they're safe in a year or two years and moving forward."
"We had a bill just today that was a $100 million bill for a two-year pilot project," said Sen. Janet Petersen, D-Des Moines. "So I think the amount of money that victims our victim advocates are advocating for is small in comparison to a number of other pieces of legislation that we see rolling through the legislature this year."
Pertersen says it's perfect timing for these agencies to be looking for an increase, as lawmakers are just beginning their budget negotiations. House and Senate caucuses have agreed on amounts in certain budget areas, but not how it will be specifically broken down.
"I think that the state owes it to victims to make sure that we have resources available for them so that they are safe, and that we don't see problems escalate by not being able to get the help that they need," she said.
Local 5 News also reached out to statehouse Republican leadership and the governor's office for a comment on this funding push, but have not yet heard back as of Thursday evening.