February 19, 2010 The Sacramento Housing Alliance and community partners call upon members of the County Board of Supervisors to: 

Retain ALL homeless services and programs for         Fiscal Year 2009-2010 and Fiscal Year 2010-2011. 

However, after considering all the alternatives, if cuts are necessary: 

Provide Continuum of Care service providers and other stakeholders adequate lead time to develop a plan, with technical assistance from HUD that addresses diminishing resources, preserves homeless services to the community and takes into account the new regulations under the HEARTH Act that will change the Continuum of Care next year.

The cuts to homeless services and other safety net programs throughout the County over the last several budget cycles has hurt children, seniors, persons with disabilities and working families.  Sacramento area school districts report that as many as 6,000 school age children are homeless. The crisis for lower income households in Sacramento County is only getting worse.  

The Growing Need for Housing and Financial Assistance: Dramatic increase in calls to 211:  From January of 2009 to January 2010 Sacramento 2-1-1 has seen an overall increase in the number of phone calls from people looking for help.  The number of callers in need of housing has doubled.  The number of requests for financial assistance for utility payments, rents and other needs has increased by 80%. Many households continue to face uncertainty during the economic downturn. Now more than ever, safety net services must be intact and available for people that need them the most.  Dramatic increases in Food Stamps, Medi-Cal and CalWorks:  The California Budget Project, a nonpartisan, independent nonprofit that engages in independent fiscal and policy analysis and public education, documents the following increases in Food Stamps, Medi-Cal and CalWorks in Sacramento County:  From September 2008 – September 2009 an 18.2% increase in requests for Food Stamps; from May 2007 – May 2009 a 10.5% increase in Medi-Cal and from October 2007 – October 2009 a 16.8% increase in the CalWorks caseload. Potential cuts to homeless programs jeopardizes over $20 million in federal homeless funds:  Potential cuts to $2 million in county general funds to homeless programs places $20 million in federal homeless funding at immediate risk as well as future funding via the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing funding.  Further cuts to the Homeless Unit of DHA will create a void in expertise in planning and coordinating for its Continuum of Care.  The proposed cuts come as Sacramento Steps Forward has made significant steps in implementing the plan to end and prevent homelessness in Sacramento. Cuts to programs and services will move the process several steps back and create greater homelessness in our county. Provide Continuum of Care service providers and other stakeholders adequate lead time to develop a plan, with technical assistance from HUD that addresses diminishing resources, preserves homeless services to the community and takes into account the new regulations under the HEARTH Act that will change the Continuum of Care next year.  We ask you to take a stand now and make children, seniors, and the most vulnerable in our community your priority.   Do not cut programs that provide a lifeline to people in Sacramento.   This is the time to provide leadership and recognize that a budget cannot be balanced on the backs of the poorest and most vulnerable in our community.