# A legal aid group turns away 60% of survivors, and a rape crisis center gets no City money, they told the domestic violence hearing *Ald. Jeanette Taylor said the police office's $1.4 million increase should have gone to rape crisis services. What the groups said they've lost, and where the City's 2027 budget stands for them.* By Chicago Politics · Updated Nov 13, 2026 The community groups that testified at Thursday's domestic violence hearing described services shrinking while demand grows. The Police Department defended its own victim services office ([our story](/on-my-block/domestic-violence-hearing-all-18-attend-cpd-50-specialists-referrals-no-vote)); the groups argued the money would go further with them. Why it matters: the Council is weeks from voting on a 2027 budget with an $882 million gap. The hearing put on the record what these groups say they need, and at least one alderperson said where she'd find it. ## What the groups said From the hearing's transcript ([meeting page](/meeting/051DB20E-BCC9-F111-AAAE-001DD803894A)): - **Life Span**, a legal aid and counseling agency for survivors, still has to "turn away 60% of the people who are accessing our services," its executive director said, while serving more than 1,300 people last year ([watch](/meeting/051DB20E-BCC9-F111-AAAE-001DD803894A?t=6838)). - The same agency's federal Office on Violence Against Women legal aid grant, $250,000 a year for more than 20 years, which pays for three attorneys and a paralegal, ended Sept. 30. The federal government hasn't issued awards for the next round, she said ([watch](/meeting/051DB20E-BCC9-F111-AAAE-001DD803894A?t=6855)). - **Resilience**, a rape crisis center, said hospital-based sexual assault crisis services in Chicago are down 25% since 2021, and that only 17 of the 26 hospitals with around-the-clock emergency rooms now partner with a rape crisis center ([watch](/meeting/051DB20E-BCC9-F111-AAAE-001DD803894A?t=8168)). - Resilience gets no City money, its CEO confirmed ([watch](/meeting/051DB20E-BCC9-F111-AAAE-001DD803894A?t=8897)). Its state money comes from a $25 million line split among 31 centers statewide; its share this year is about $1.6 million to $1.7 million, she said ([watch](/meeting/051DB20E-BCC9-F111-AAAE-001DD803894A?t=12311)). - The founder of a smaller group, Beautifully Scarred, said it often runs on her own money, [Block Club Chicago reported](https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/11/13/alders-finally-hold-domestic-violence-hearing-to-discuss-how-city-can-better-support-victims/). ## What alderpersons said **Jeanette Taylor (20th)** asked how many cases each police specialist carries and whether the office is "a smart investment" compared with "people who've been doing it for decades" ([watch](/meeting/051DB20E-BCC9-F111-AAAE-001DD803894A?t=9159)). She said she isn't arguing to defund anything: "I'm here to preach a fund campaign." If the Office of Victim Services grew by $1.4 million, she said, "equitably, that should be allocated to rape crisis services" ([watch](/meeting/051DB20E-BCC9-F111-AAAE-001DD803894A?t=8921)). She also said housing is survivors' first need, describing a constituent who called her office wanting to leave an abuser and stayed because there was nowhere to go ([watch](/meeting/051DB20E-BCC9-F111-AAAE-001DD803894A?t=8590)). **Nicole Lee (11th)**, who called the hearing, closed by resisting what she called "binary conversations": the hearing was "not about an exercise of picking one group's pockets to go to the other," and the goal is "sustained funding" ([watch](/meeting/051DB20E-BCC9-F111-AAAE-001DD803894A?t=12209)). ## Where the City's money stands - **The police office:** $4 million in 2026, about $2.5 million for domestic violence, the department said Thursday. We have not found its 2027 line in the budget documents we've read. - **Community providers:** the Department of Family and Support Services, which funds community domestic violence and gender-based violence groups, told the Budget Committee on Nov. 6 that those providers would be funded at least at 2026 levels ([watch](/meeting/62AEBFEC-93C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5?t=23363)). Lee said Thursday the department had committed to replacing $400,000 in expiring federal pandemic money for these programs ([watch](/meeting/051DB20E-BCC9-F111-AAAE-001DD803894A?t=4385)). - **Rape crisis centers:** nothing we've found in the 2027 proposal adds City money for them. ## What our records add Lee's resolution is the only item on this subject in front of the Police and Fire Committee, and a hearing on it can't move money ([R2026-0026326](/matter/R2026-0026326-call-hearing-addressing-concerns-about-investing)). Any shift has to happen in the budget itself: the Council's public hearing is Dec. 8, and the 28 alderpersons who rejected the Mayor's plan have said they won't vote for "new spending" ([our story](/on-my-block/budget-coalition-28-alderpersons-letter-non-starter-last-year-revenue-vote)). Shifting money within existing budgets wouldn't add spending; adding money for rape crisis centers without a cut elsewhere would. ## What's next Committee members asked the groups to send their funding letter to all 50 alderpersons. We'll report whether any budget amendment follows. ## Legislation in this story - [Call for hearing(s) on addressing concerns about investing in Office of Victim Services rather than increasing funds for emergency housing and legal aid programs](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/matter/R2026-0026326-call-hearing-addressing-concerns-about-investing) (R2026-0026326) ## Sources 1. City Clerk: [R2026-0026326: Call for hearing(s) on addressing concerns about investing in Office of Victim Services rather than increasing funds for emergency housing and legal aid programs](https://chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov/Matter/?matterId=0FB846FA-736A-F111-A823-001DD80F48AE) 2. City Clerk: [R2026-0026326, Legislation: w11others - r26326.pdf](https://occprodstoragev1.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/matterattachmentspublic/c2402d90-3cb2-4f7c-9529-35e76f0154ac.pdf) 3. Block Club Chicago: [Block Club Chicago reported](https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/11/13/alders-finally-hold-domestic-violence-hearing-to-discuss-how-city-can-better-support-victims/) 4. Chicago Politics: [R2026-0026326: votes, timeline and summary](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/matter/R2026-0026326-call-hearing-addressing-concerns-about-investing) --- Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/on-my-block/domestic-violence-advocates-turn-away-60-percent-rape-crisis-no-city-money · Chicago Politics, an independent tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt