Congresswoman Brown Blasts Termination of Cleveland Peacemakers Grant Supporting Gun Violence Survivors

Cleveland, OH – Today, Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) learned of the termination of a grant for the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance, an award that was authorized by the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

In 2023, the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance received a grant of $2 million from the Department of Justice’s Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI). The grant supported their efforts to support victims and families impacted by gun violence at Cleveland’s level one trauma hospitals, in collaboration with The Brenda Glass Trauma Recovery Center and Cleveland State University. This grant has now been terminated midstream, impacting the Alliance’s ability to deliver services. 

This latest funding freeze from the Trump Administration is impacting local governments and non-profits nationwide.

Congresswoman Brown releases the following statement: 

“The Trump Administration’s decision to terminate $2 million in funding for the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance is a disgraceful betrayal – of the law, of decency, and of the people of Cleveland. 

“This grant, authorized by Congress under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, has been a lifeline for our community. It has funded critical violence intervention work in our trauma hospitals, supported our grieving neighbors with funeral assistance, and helped survivors of gun violence begin to rebuild their lives after the unimaginable.

“The Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance and its sub-awardee partners are doing heroic work in line with what Bipartisan Safer Communities Act intended: reducing violence, supporting victims, and giving communities the tools they need to heal. I will fight tooth and nail to get this funding restored, and I will not allow Trump to use Cleveland as a punching bag and sabotage our progress.”

Congresswoman Brown voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022. A major component of the legislation was providing needed resources to help communities like Northeast Ohio reduce gun violence.

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