County Leaders Advocate for Essential Safety Net Services Amid Proposed Budget Cuts

June 12, 2024

 SACRAMENTO – As Governor Gavin Newsom and the Legislature zero in on a final state budget plan, a nonpartisan group of county leaders working in coordination through the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) is raising the alarm on the impact of possible cuts to vital safety net services.

Programs such as CalWORKs, foster care, and Adult Protective Services provide crucial support to California’s most vulnerable residents. However, the proposed budget reductions jeopardize the stability of these essential services and the well-being of those who depend on them. Likewise, the state’s successful homelessness initiative, the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program is also on the chopping block. CSAC is grateful that the Senate and Assembly Joint Budget Plan restores many of these cuts and urges their inclusion in the final budget agreement.

In order to fight homelessness and protect the most vulnerable members of our communities, counties are raising their voices in support of these vital safety net services in the state budget.

Here is what they are saying…

CSAC President and San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson
 
“In San Luis Obispo County, the funds have provided critical support for our work around behavioral health and homelessness prevention particularly for our under-served populations. Loss of these funds would be a significant step backward in our efforts to keep our most-vulnerable residents safe and healthy.”

CSAC Chief Executive Officer Graham Knaus
 
“California has led the nation in responsible, values-based budgets, that preserve critical safety net programs. We are concerned about the breadth of cuts that would severely unravel funding for effective programs that prevent and address homelessness, protect vulnerable families and foster children, public health, and workforce development. The Great Recession taught us that cuts to the safety net threaten vulnerable families and children and ultimately cost them and our communities far more.  Let’s not repeat the same mistakes.”

Monterey County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew
 
“California is a beacon of Equity and Compassion, and our budget should reflect these values. There is no excuse for our residents to be left hungry, unhoused, or without healthcare. Even in tough times, our budget must protect funding for critical services that our children, seniors, and working people rely on.”

Merced County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Josh Pedrozo
 
“Along with the rest of the Central Valley, Merced County has a large population of vulnerable individuals who rely on the vital, life-saving services we provide. Current budget proposals to reduce safety net funding for these programs will derail years of progress we’ve made in reducing homelessness, protecting our youth, and supporting at-risk residents. We need to undertake every possible strategy to protect those who rely upon these important programs.”

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Vice President David Haubert
 
“These proposed cuts would negatively impact our County’s most critical initiatives to support older adults and foster youth, as our most vulnerable residents rely on programs that receive funding from the state.”

Mono County Board of Supervisors Chair John Peters
 
“The cuts as originally proposed reversed well over a decade of investments in the CalWORKs program and the families served by it, eliminating services and supports that are proven to improve family well-being and their economic security.”

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg

“The proposed budget cuts endanger the well-being of our most fragile populations, amplifying the strain on our county’s law enforcement and educational resources, with far-reaching negative consequences.”

Colusa County Supervisor Kent Boes
 
“Cuts to HHAP funding not only affect our homeless populations, but also our stabilization and homelessness prevention efforts. Cuts to HHAP funding not only prevent homeless from becoming housed, they create more unhoused individuals and exacerbate the existing homeless problem.”

Mendocino County Supervisor John Haschak
 
“These proposed cuts will have a detrimental effect on the people of Mendocino County. This will inflict harm on older adults and foster youth and put their health, safety, and overall well-being in jeopardy.”

Ventura County Chief Executive Officer Dr. Sevet Johnson
 
“While we understand the gravity of the State budget, cuts to core safety net programs will significantly limit how Counties provide services to our residents that need them most. The County of Ventura has invested heavily in housing and supportive services for our most vulnerable and hope to continue moving forward with the initiatives and programs that will make a significant difference in our community.”

Solano County Board of Supervisors
 
“California counties provide critical safety net services to our most vulnerable citizens. Here in Solano County, nearly one-third of our county residents rely on critical health and social service mandated programs and services. Approximately 7,500 individuals access the CalWORKs program each month for assistance with housing, food, clothing, medical care, and other ongoing expenses. More than 49,000 Solano County residents, including individuals and families, receive food and nutritional assistance through CalFresh. Our Child Welfare division receives approximately 5,000 calls of suspected child abuse and neglect every year, in addition to managing nearly 900 open child welfare cases and investigating more than 500 cases of child maltreatment per month. State funding is essential for protecting vulnerable children, families, and individuals in our community. For these reasons and more, we urge the Legislature and the Governor to restore funding to these programs, as budget cuts threaten to dismantle many of the essential services we provide to vulnerable populations in our county.”

Mendocino County Board of Supervisors
 
“The County of Mendocino supports the Legislature’s Budget Plan’s rejection of the Governor’s proposal, which will have substantial funding cuts for crucial programs such as CalWORKs, CalFresh, Child Care, Foster Care, Adult Protective Services, and In-Home Supportive Services. These programs are lifelines for some of the most vulnerable populations in our county, and their support is absolutely crucial.
 
The County remains deeply concerned about the significant remaining reductions, especially in the Health and Human Services programs.”

Lassen County Supervisor Tom Neely
 
“The vulnerable populations that rely on these safety net services are not asking for a handout but a hand up.”

Humboldt County Supervisor Rex Bohn
 
“The progress we have made with immense help from the State on homelessness and our aging population, who are among the most vulnerable, is threatened by cuts to our safety net services.  We must preserve essential needs funding and put the peripheral items on hold till recovery is stable.”

Shasta County Supervisor Mary Rickert

“In Shasta County, there has been a concerning rise in the number of fentanyl overdoses and fentanyl-related deaths during the last several years, especially among our homeless population. Reducing the funding available to support our most disenfranchised citizens will only spur on an already growing crisis across the state.