Boston Council advances $145,000 VAWA grant for domestic violence advocates

BOSTON — February 6, 2025 — Boston City Council committee advances a $145,687 federal grant to fund a Spanish-speaking domestic violence advocate covering Jamaica Plain and East Boston. The Committee on Strong Women, Families, and Communities, chaired by Councilor Erin J. Murphy, held a hearing Thursday on Docket 0293, authorizing the city to accept Violence Against Women Act funds from the U.S. Department of Justice, administered by the Boston Police Department. Lieutenant Detective Nicole LaPointe testified that the city's five civilian advocates handled contact with more than 10,000 domestic violence victims in 2024 and served more than 3,000 new victims, out of roughly 13,000 cases assigned to the unit. Two additional advocate positions funded through COVID-era grants are set to expire June 30, 2025, and Councilor Benjamin J. Weber warned that federal scrutiny of DOJ funding puts even the VAWA grant at risk: "Who's going to be impacted by these political decisions from Washington."