Through its new civil legal services for victims of crime program, gulfcoast legal services (GLS) will expand access to civil legal representation for victims of interpersonal violence, with a…

The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Victims of Crime awarded Gulfcoast Legal Services, Inc. $499,704 on October 1, 2025, under the Crime Victim Assistance/Discretionary Grants program (CFDA 16.582) to expand civil legal services for victims of interpersonal violence, with particular emphasis on non-intimate partner sexual assault survivors.

Gulfcoast Legal Services will provide direct legal representation to crime victims in family law, housing, and financial stability matters across eight Congressional Districts in the Gulfcoast region, along with trauma-informed victim advocacy to address clients' holistic needs and improve long-term safety, housing stability, and financial security. The project is based in St. Petersburg, Florida and runs through September 30, 2028. The award is a Project Grant, a competitive discretionary award supported by Crime Victims Fund deposits. Gulfcoast, a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, delivers civil legal services and victim advocacy to low-income and crime-victim populations, with prior experience managing federal victim service awards including a three-year Human Trafficking Justice Project from the Office for Victims of Crime that concluded September 30, 2025.

Through its new civil legal services for victims of crime program, gulfcoast legal services (GLS) will expand access to civil legal representation for victims of interpersonal violence, with a particular emphasis on victims of non-intimate partner sexual assault (nipsa). The project will serve the gulfcoast region across eight congressional districts. GLS will provide direct legal representation to victims of crime in areas such as family law, housing, and financial stability, alongside victim advocacy to ensure that clients holistic needs are met through trauma-informed, client-centered services. The project will increase access to justice, and improve long-term safety, housing stability, and financial security.