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Quote/Term of the Week

“I will do whatever is necessary to fulfill the full budget ask made by the task force, because I will not enter into a 2026 that costs the lives of more women. That is a moral calculation that I refuse to make.”

— Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st Ward) commenting on the decrease in funding to domestic and gender-based violence prevention and services.

[AFTERNOON 2026 Chicago Budget Hearing: Social Services, October 30, 2025]

Social service cuts hit home

Vital services for Chicagoans of all ages are in danger as the city’s Department of Family and Support Services faces its first major funding cut  in over a decade.

The $632.6 million budget proposal for 2026 would be a 10% decrease from the 2025 budget. 

Chicago faces a $1.15 billion shortfall, partly due to federal funding cuts and the expiration of COVID-era grants, such as funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). DFSS received $109 million in ARPA funds in 2025 but will only get $4.6 million in 2026. 

DFSS encompasses a variety of services including programs for children and youth, seniors, workforce development and reentry, people experiencing homelessness and domestic and gender-based violence. Here are some of the services these cuts will impact if the current budget proposal is passed:

Domestic and gender-based violence services and prevention

These services will be cut 43%. About 40% of that decrease comes from reductions in the Domestic Violence Fund while the remainder comes from the loss of ARPA funds. After all the cuts are said and done, funds for GBV prevention and resources come out to $12.2 million for 2026, down from $21 million allotted in 2025. 

While Chicago’s homicide rates have dropped 30% in 2025, the proportion  of homicides that are domestic-related has increased 13% from this time last year. Advocates and alders said they were concerned about decreasing funding even as violence increases.

“We know that gender-based violence and domestic violence is up – way, way up,” Ald. Nicole Lee (11th Ward) said in her address to DFSS commissioners. “So as the chair of the Women's Caucus, I would be remiss not to sit here before you and really make the case for why it's so important for funding to be held.” 

This is not the first time advocates have urged the City to further invest in GBV resources. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2024 budget included $90 million in funding for the Chicago Police Department as a part of an expansion for the Office of Victim Services.  

But GBV advocates and members of Chicago’s Gender-Based Violence Task Force urged Johnson to instead put those funds towards organizations that already work with survivors, noting a pattern of mistreatment of people experiencing GBV at the hands of CPD. 

DFSS Commissioner Angela Green said one positive aspect of the current funding model is that $3.5 million put towards GBV comes out of the Community Safety Fund, which was established by Johnson. The fund is a part of the Protecting Chicago Budget initiative, which is meant to prioritize social services, health care and housing by taxing large corporations in Chicago. 

But the department is constantly searching for “different funding streams,”  such as applying for relevant grants, to boost support for these programs, Green said.

Domestic violence comprises one-fourth of violent crime in Chicago, CBS reported in September. That investigation also noted that the Trump administration withdrew grants from organizations that combat GBV and proposed a 29% cut to the federal government's Office of Violence Against Women.

Legal Services

The Legal Protection Fund, which plays a vital role in providing legal services for immigrants in Chicago, will drop by 50% in 2026. 

The cut in funding from $3 million to $1.5 million will directly impact legal services that support immigrants in Chicago who are working to maintain and obtain legal residency, without regard to refugee status, documented residency or citizenship status.

The loss also comes from the decrease in ARPA funds. 

Ald. Anthony Quezada (35th Ward) expressed concern over the lack of funding, noting that the legal services are in high demand.

“I think we need to speak with the administration on making sure that we have that fully funded. I have spoken to many of my constituents and advocates, like the Resurrection Project, that are working diligently to protect our undocumented communities from the lack of due process with civil immigration enforcement right now,” he said. 

“The legal protection fund is an essential tool to protect some of our most vulnerable neighbors right now from these immigration policies,” Quezada said.

What you can do:

What do you think the City Council should prioritize this budget season? Click here to find your ward and contact your alder.

Follow along with Chicago Documenters this #BudgetSzn🤑. We’re covering every budget hearing leading up to City Council finalizing the spending plan at the end of the year. Follow our work at docs.org, Twitter.com and Bluesky.

A version of this story was first published in the November 5, 2025 issue of the Newswire, an email newsletter that is your weekly guide to Chicago government, civic action and what we can do to make our city great. You can sign up for the weekly newsletter here.

Have thoughts on what you'd like to see in this feature? Email Civic Editor Dawn Rhodes at dawn@citybureau.org.