Pittsburgh Action Against Rape 'in crisis' amid state budget impasse

Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, Allegheny County’s only rape crisis center, is facing severe financial strain as Pennsylvania’s months-long budget impasse cuts off a key source of funding.

Sadie Restivo, PAAR’s executive director, said the nonprofit relies on the commonwealth for about 20% of its budget.

As the stalemate drags on past 100 days, she said, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stay afloat.

“We’re now in crisis ourselves,” Restivo told TribLive on Tuesday.

PAAR provides emergency support, education and advocacy to end sexual violence throughout the county. It is one of 47 rape crisis centers in Pennsylvania.

In total, those centers receive nearly $12 million per year from the state. That number has not increased in the last five years, Restivo said, though the crisis centers are calling for an extra $8 million in the state budget to support them.

Restivo said services are continuing around the clock, despite the pressures from the budget impasse. But PAAR already is feeling the impacts.

The organization — which now has 43 staffers — eliminated two positions and implemented a spending freeze, urging workers to avoid buying supplies and make do with what they have.

They also are asking vendors to accept late payments or allow invoices to be paid slowly over time as cash flow runs dry.

Restivo estimated the organization can make it until December without having to rely on a line of credit, which would require the nonprofit to pay back interest and take on more debt than it had budgeted.

“We feel lucky we can make it that long,” she said. “Philadelphia is nearly closed at this point.”

Some rape crisis centers have already had to lay off staff and scale back services.

Allegheny County and the Pittsburgh Public School District have implemented spending and hiring freezes because of the budget delay. In Westmoreland County, 125 workers were furloughed, county parks partially closed and some departments are scaling back operations.

Restivo criticized legislators for not passing a budget, pointing out that the money to fund services like rape crisis centers is there,

“It’s our mission and our sense that we will continue to not have one missed call or one missed appointment as long as we possibly can,” she said. “Come November, December, we really are going to have to look at making sure our direct service is first and foremost taken care of.”

That would include prioritizing the 24-hour emergency hotline and responding to crisis calls from hospitals, Restivo said.

“We’ll have to take a look at what does that mean for our other services?” she added, explaining that the center also offers trauma therapy and education programs that they don’t want to cut either.

PAAR is looking to raise money to avoid service reductions, Restivo said, though it’s unclear how long they could avoid trimming operations if the budget impasse continues.

PAAR serves about 2,500 clients per year, she said, about a quarter of whom are children.

“Every single dollar and every single budget line item has a human being behind it,” she said.