Calling on Sen. Collins to protect grant funding for survivors of domestic abuse | Opinion
Through These Doors, the domestic‑violence resource center serving Cumberland County, has placed a community‑based advocate in Portland with the help of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money. The advocate works alongside local service providers, meets survivors in community settings and connects them with voluntary, survivor‑led support that can include safety planning, crisis assistance, housing referrals and longer‑term services. According to the organization, this outreach reaches people who might never have called a helpline, entered a shelter or known where to begin.
The CDBG program, created in 1974, gives cities and counties flexible funds to address housing, infrastructure, public services and neighborhood needs in ways that fit local conditions. In Portland, that flexibility is seen as especially valuable because housing instability, domestic‑violence risk and gaps in services often overlap. Survivors may need immediate safety help, but they also frequently require assistance finding stable housing, understanding their options and staying connected to services after a crisis has passed.
Funding for the program, however, has been trending downward. Congress has cut more than $1.1 billion from CDBG appropriations since 2001, and after adjusting for inflation today’s allocation is only a fraction of what was originally committed. Leaders at Through These Doors warn that if the decline continues, local officials and community groups will feel the strain first, and people who need help before their situations become more dangerous or costly will be left without support.
Sen. Susan Collins, who has long backed CDBG and now chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, is positioned to play a central role in shaping the program’s future as Congress debates the next federal housing and community‑development funding bill. Advocates stress that protecting CDBG should not be a partisan issue, noting that the needs it addresses—housing insecurity, aging infrastructure, domestic violence, public‑health challenges and service gaps—exist in every congressional district.
Through These Doors says the CDBG‑funded advocate has allowed the organization to coordinate more closely with local partners and to meet survivors where they are, even if they are not ready to enter a shelter, contact law enforcement or take any formal action. “It has allowed us to meet people where they are, including those who may not be ready to enter a shelter, contact law enforcement or take any formal action, but still need information, planning and support,” the group noted. They add that the advocacy gives survivors options, respects their autonomy and recognises that safety is not a one‑size‑fits‑all solution; leaving abuse often takes time, trust and steady support.
In a direct appeal to Senator Collins, the organization urged, “We urge Sen. Collins to protect and strengthen this program so Maine communities can keep doing the work their residents need.” They also echoed a sentiment from their outreach: “No one should have to take those steps alone.” And, reflecting on the local impact of the grant, they said, “Thankfully, here in Portland, federal Community Development Block Grant funding has helped make sure more survivors do not have to.”
