The Pennsylvania state budget is now more than 100 days overdue and is contributing to the preexisting financial strain on rape crisis centers across the state.

Rape crisis centers in Pennsylvania have been operating without access to any state funding since July 1. Many centers rely on this funding and have had to cut back on services and personnel to continue operating.

The state has allotted $11.92 million for rape crisis services each year since 2021, which crisis centers said has made it difficult to keep up with their services. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget offers the same amount and would be the fifth year of flat funding. 

According to Sadie Restivo, executive director of Pittsburgh Action Against Rape — the only rape crisis center in Allegheny County — Pennsylvania rape crisis centers were already asking for an $8 million increase in funding for the 2025-26 fiscal year before the budget was proposed. 

“This is bare bones what we would need in order to continue to function at the level we’re functioning at,” Restivo said. 

According to Restivo, rape crisis centers in Pennsylvania are required to have a 24-hour help line and to respond to all calls from hospitals in the area within 24 hours. The lack of state funding means employees must continue to do so despite not being paid for their work.

On Oct. 16, PAAR held a joint press conference with the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect — Pennsylvania’s state coalition for rape crisis centers — to address these concerns and “demand immediate action” from the state. 

Yolanda Edrington, chief executive officer of PCAR, said the budget impasse has caused centers to take out loans and max out credit cards.

“Now, after more than three months, 108 days, without state funding, [crisis centers] are past their breaking point,” Edrington said. “Let’s be clear — sexual violence is not a partisan issue.”

Restivo said PAAR has had to make some difficult changes due to the lack of state funding, including instituting a spending freeze and recently terminating two direct service positions. She said she considers it one of the “lucky” centers, since it has other funding sources to maintain employee pay and center operations. 

“Allegheny County is covering what probably many other counties’ [Children, Youth and Families] and [Department of Human Services] offices are not able to cover,” Restivo said.

PAAR has also retained access to federal funding payments during the government shutdown, according to Restivo. 

“Now, that could stop on a moment’s notice,” Restivo said. “That could stop at the end of October.”

Restivo said she anticipates those funds will run out soon, even with donor money and federal and county funds.

“Come November, we will have to start to dip into our reserve,” Restivo said. 

 

PAAR also works with Prevention at Pitt to support students on Pitt’s campus. Carrie Benson, Prevention at Pitt director, said the partnership remains fully functioning despite the lack of state funding. 

“Our relationship is so important to the Pitt community — the services PAAR provides to survivors on our campus are invaluable,” Benson said.

Prevention at Pitt received a $500,000 Pitt SEED grant in 2022 that has financed much of its programming and services over the past few years.

“As long as PAAR stays open, we fully expect them to continue their partnership with Pitt, as it is financially supported through our grant,” Benson said.

Other crisis centers and nonprofits have already lost access to federal funding. Megan McConahy, executive director of AWARE — the rape crisis center in Mercer County — spoke at the press conference and said this is the case for AWARE.

McConahy said the combined lack of state funding and federal government shutdown “forced” AWARE to move its entire staff to part-time status in order to keep employees paid.

“In theory, we are a fully funded program,” McConahy said. “But in reality, we have no funding streams left.”

This lack of funding has directly affected AWARE’s ability to support its community, according to McConahy.

“Each and every day, I talk to survivors who are at risk of being evicted or having utilities shut off,” McConahy said. “I should be able to help them, but I cannot.”

State Sen. Lindsey Williams stood in support of crisis centers and urged other state officials to pass the state budget.

“[Centers] shouldn’t have to borrow money [they] were constitutionally owed in June,” Williams said.

Maria Gardener, a survivor who worked with PAAR in 2021, said she wanted state lawmakers to remember this is about people, not policy.

“I fear that if state lawmakers do not come face-to-face with the people hurt by their inaction, they will continue to write survivors off as another line in a spreadsheet that can wait,” Gardener said.

Gardener said she “could not have survived” her attack without the support she received from PAAR.

“There is a reason we are called survivors,” Gardener said. “Not all of us make it, and without our state’s rape crisis centers, more of us won’t.”