View the San Francisco for Sunday, June 9, 2024
Roast duck hanging in the front window of New Golden Daisy at 1041 Stockton Street in Chinatown, San Francisco on Friday, May 31, 2024.Reina Tello, a community organizer at PODER: “Families are going to have to be pushed out to find something better for their kids .
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By not having these programs, you’re exposing them to being on the street.” San Francisco budget season is now in full swing, and the battle lines are coming into sharper focus.— a proposal that attempts to close a nearly $800 million two-year deficit while also maintaining spending on key priorities like“It is clear that the San Francisco budget will be balanced on the backs of the working class residents of San Francisco,” read a statement released this week from the People’s Budget Coalition, which formed in response toThey warn that by boosting funding for law enforcement, the mayor’s budget would squeeze out a wide array of city-backed programs — including after-school activities, workforce-development initiatives and community gardens — that they argue not only enrich community life but also help reduce the conditions of poverty and deprivation that lead to criminal activity in the first place. “It is not possible to claim to prioritize economic recovery, homelessness and public safety while cutting funding for the organizations that have a proven track record of keeping our communities afloat,” the statement said. The message is an opening salvo in this year’s budget battle, which nonprofit leaders hope will push the mayor to restore at least some of the funding that is under threat before the budget is finalized in late July. The mayor’s office has acknowledged that Breed’s proposal includes painful cuts but also said that the most severe reductions have been steered away from direct services, such as rehousing programs for the homeless and early childhood education, which have been maintained or expanded. Nevertheless, the coalition contends that the cuts will be far-reaching and impact some of The City’s most vulnerable residents. The group calculates that the proposed budget would lead to a $39 million reduction in grant funding for programs that serve young people and families from the previous year. However, city officials say the reduction is due to a lapse in one-time funding sources related to the pandemic. Regardless, nonprofit leaders say it could force them to lay off staffers who provide a wide variety of services, including work for violence intervention programs, restorative justice programs and summer learning enrichment programs. Two such summer programs facing potential cuts — The Village Project and Common Roots — have been operating for more than 10 years. “Families are going to have to be pushed out to find something better for their kids,” said Reina Tello, a community organizer with environmental-justice group PODER. With so few activities geared toward young people in San Francisco, she said, “By not having these programs, you’re exposing them to being on the street.” The coalition also warned that an expected 15% budget cut for the Office of Economic & Workforce Development would mean millions of dollars less for programs that help unhoused people, immigrants and youth gain financial support while acquiring crucial job skills. Meanwhile, the budget will continue to draw down on pandemic-era rental and food support for low-income residents. Organizers with the People’s Budget Coalition said such reductions are premature. “The economy has not recovered from the pandemic, and so we can’t expect our poorest San Franciscans to have recovered as well,” said Anya Worley-Ziegmann, a staff member with the coalition. As advocates rally to defend cherished programs, they are also criticizing Breed’s focus on police spending, which she has said is intended to help fully staff SFPD within three years. “We know that difficult choices have to be made,” said Debbi Lerman, who directs the San Francisco Human Services Network. But, she said, “Public safety is not just about arresting people.” “These are things that ultimately save money,” said Lerman. “People who get connected to services save money in other areas. They don’t end up in jail. They don’t end up in hospitals. They find substance use programs or find ways to get off the streets.” The coalition is also urging the mayor to find savings by shrinking the number of high-paid managers in city government and dipping further into The City’s reserve fund. Breed spokesperson Parisa Safarzadeh pointed out that the mayor’s proposal sustains and, in some cases, even increases funding for many of The City’s homelessness programs. The budget includes a $133.5 million increase in funding for the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing over last year’s allocation — to a total of $846.7 million — which will go in part toward expanding housing options for families and adolescents. The budget would also expand San Francisco’s programs focused on early child care and education, with an additional $120 million in new investments, Safarzadeh said. Of course, The City’s nonprofits will not be the only ones speaking up during the upcoming budget process, which will include a series of meetings overseen by the Board of Supervisors Budget and Appropriations Committee. Breed has faced a barrage of budget-related criticism from her rivals in the mayor’s race, a group that includes two sitting supervisors — Ahsha Safai and Aaron Peskin., raising the possibility that transit operators, fare inspectors and others might strike for higher wages once their current contract expires at the end of June.“We have faith in our city leaders and the mayor,” said Marnie Regen, who co-chairs the Homeless Emergency Services Provider Association. “She’ll restore the cuts because she knows how important it is to make this progress.”Click and hold your mouse button on the page to select the area you wish to save or print. You can click and drag the clipping box to move it or click and drag in the bottom right corner to resize it. 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