Protestors urge San Francisco leaders to spare programs from budget cuts

SAN FRANCISCO - Protesters unfurled banners inside San Francisco's City Hall on Monday afternoon, demanding city leaders save critical programs from proposed budget cuts. 

Budget cuts coming to San Francisco 

What we know:

The city is facing an $800 million budget shortfall over the next two years. 

The Board of Supervisors is now considering the mayor's budget proposal, which includes $185 million in cuts to nonprofit programs or contractors.

Hundreds lined the halls waiting for their turn to let the board know which programs should be spared. 

Critical services on the chopping block

"I am asking the city to reinstate the $4.2 million for general legal services from the mayor's office for housing and community development to ensure that all young people, regardless of income, can receive legal aid and know their rights," said Lucas Liang.

Claire Lau from the Chinese Progressive Association said legal aid programs are critical to protecting working poor and immigrant communities from workplace abuse and fighting illegal evictions. She said saving the programs would save the city money in the long run. 

"So it's actually a small investment to make in the front end to prevent people from [becoming] homeless, prevent people from being in poverty," said Lau.

Among those at risk is the Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC), a nonprofit that provides housing advocacy and other support for families living in single-room occupancy (SRO) buildings in Chinatown.

Candice Wu, a mother living in an SRO with her one-year-old daughter Seraphina, explained how her family has benefited from CCDC’s help over the years.

"For example, rats or roaches in the building. We have limited English ability, that’s why we really rely on their services to help us communicate with the landlord," Wu said through an interpreter. "And we’re also afraid of getting evicted if we raise these concerns."

Wu is one of many families that may lose access to these services. Two key programs, the Code Enforcement Outreach Program and the SRO Families United Collaborative, are at risk of being eliminated under the mayor's proposed budget. The collaborative includes CCDC and four other nonprofit groups. CCDC alone serves about half of the families living in Chinatown's SROs, and stands to lose $1.2 million in funding.

Without the funding, CCDC says it will be tough to continue providing housing counseling, disaster preparedness workshops, and code enforcement outreach services, all of which are critical for these vulnerable residents.

"Without the funding, the community we’re serving will be at risk," said Sandy Jiang, a community organizing supervisor at CCDC. "We’re talking about low-income, immigrants, monolingual, seniors, people with disabilities, and children growing up in SROs."

Jiang, who grew up in a Chinatown SRO herself and benefited from CCDC, added that many residents who spoke during public comment today were desperate to see these programs spared.

"The families are really angry, really sad... because the continuation of this program means they can live in safe and habitable housing," Jiang said.

The cost of cuts

In a city that is still struggling with sky-high housing prices, Jennifer Friedenbach from San Francisco's Coalition on Homelessness, said cuts to programs that help people stay in their housing is not only critical, but also make financial sense, saving money by preventing people from losing housing in the first place. 

"For example, there's budget cuts for back rent for San Franciscans," said Friedenbach. "You know, if they have a catastrophic health issue and they can't access back rent then they lose their housing and become homeless."

Local perspective:

In a statement, Mayor Daniel Lurie's office said in part, "Facing an historic $800 million budget deficit, Mayor Lurie saved critical funding for legal services to support our city's immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities, who are under threat right now. That meant making tough decisions in order to prioritize the core services necessary to keep our streets safe and clean and set up our entire city for long-term growth. "

Connie Chan, chair of the Board of Supervisors' budget committee, said with the looming threat of cuts from the Trump administration, she is searching for ways to preserve essential programs for the city's most vulnerable; even considering cuts to managerial positions to save money. 

"There could be anywhere between $40 and $60 million for the next two fiscal years," said Supervisor Chan. "Maybe potentially more. But, at the same time, if you put it on the scale, it is a $16 billion budget. Somethings gotta give, something has to give."

What's next:

The Board of Supervisors will work to hammer out a draft of a budget deal on Wednesday.

The mayor has until the end of July to sign the budget.

 

Daniel LurieSan FranciscoNews