POULSBO — The City of Poulsbo is tightening its budget and curbing spending, but one municipal fund is about to pay out to the community.

Fund 191, an account that receives a small portion of state-funded sales tax to support domestic violence victims and children at risk, has been mostly stagnant until now, said Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson.

Erickson plans to use some of the funds to give a one-time grant to abuse victim haven Eli’s Place, and may increase contributions to the YWCA Alive program, which counsels domestic violence victims.

Fund 191 receives about $7,000 per year. It currently has a balance of $34,000.

The Poulsbo City Council voted Wednesday night to approve a one-time $12,000 grant to Eli’s Place.

Poulsbo Councilwoman Connie Lord encouraged the council to vote in favor of the grant.

“It’s critical that we have places like that,” she said.

The grant will allow Eli’s Place to hook up to city sewer and water systems.

Hookups will eventually allow Eli’s Place to expand, said founder Ardis Morrow. Women and their children are given shelter for up to a year in the duplex, where they can work, go to school, regain confidence and rebuild their finances. There is a waiting list to stay there.

Whether the city will up its support of the Alive program depends partially on the details of the Bainbridge Island Municipal Court’s relocation to Poulsbo. The Alive program is currently housed in the court’s office.

An annual contribution to the YWCA’s Alive program would increase from about $2,500 to $5,000. There have been efforts to keep Bainbridge courts on the island, but both Erickson and Alive program manager Barbara Saur said they hope the program can establish a presence in Poulsbo whether or not the courts relocate.

The program offers legal advocacy to victims of domestic violence. Counselors accompany victims to court, help explain the proceedings and offer information on options related to protection orders and divorce.

The program also runs support groups and assists victims in emergencies, finding them shelter, food or transportation.

“The partnership that we’ve shared with the City of Poulsbo and with the City of Bainbridge Island has been an outstanding partnership,” said YWCA executive director Linda Joyce. “This is another step in the process of helping us reach more survivors of domestic violence and their children.”

Throughout North Kitsap and Bainbridge Island the program has assisted 180 families in the past 12 months, 30 more than last year, Saur said. The tough economy could be related, as job losses and financial troubles can be contributing factors to a difficult home situation, she said.

Victims have been in need long before the stock market crash. Domestic violence programs in Washington state served nearly 20,000 families in 2006, according to the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Nearly 6,150 victims and their children were given emergency shelter, and more 36,500 were refused shelter due to space and funding limitations.

“Our county has become more and more educated about the effects of domestic violence, more and more people are talking to each other about it, and the consequence of that is that more and more people are coming forward and saying they need help,” Joyce said.