Proposed budget cuts will hurt those most in need

As the executive director of HAVEN, Gallatin County’s nonprofit serving survivors of domestic violence, I have serious concerns over the state’s proposed budget cuts.

One of the largest proposed cuts is to the Department of Health and Human Services, which provides domestic violence shelters such as HAVEN with significant funding each year. Last fiscal year, 162 of our community members stayed at HAVEN when they had nowhere else to turn. An additional 818 survivors of domestic violence received supportive services at HAVEN, and benefited from the programs DPHHS helps make possible.

The current budget solution being proposed is to cut services that protect all of us – seniors, abuse victims, and at-risk youth – when we need it the most. My hope is that our elected officials can find creative solutions to increase revenue so that we can bolster up the programs doing good work in our communities, rather than defunding them.

Programs funded by DPHHS are a lifeline to our friends, co-workers, and neighbors. Cutting funding only hurts those who need support the most in our communities.