With the recession and the annual deficit, Santa Cruz has been forced to cut social service funding by 50 percent from what it was a decade ago. Still, the city offers about $1 million every year to a variety of programs that assist the needy. Few people contest that the programs are necessary, but some contest the lack of oversight in the distribution of funds. According to some City Council members, Santa Cruz has become a “magnet” for homeless people and others seeking aid.
The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports that on Tuesday night, the City Council voted unanimously to take the necessary steps to ensure that the available money wasn’t only spent, but that it was spent wisely. “The old system is coming to an end,” said Vice Mayor Ryan Coonerty. “We need to be more strategic and have more metrics to measure success with limited public dollars.” The three metrics he has in mind are financial assistance, health care and resident safety. A committee established by City Council will meet to determine how programs meet those needs before funding is allocated.
Groups that will benefit from this include child care and after-school programs, legal services for the indigent, job training, medical care and mental health services. Basic services will also be provided for the homeless, provided that service providers meet the above conditions.
Not all community service organizations are happy with the decision. The Homeless Services Center, for instance, received $168,115 last year, or 15 percent of its budget, from municipal sources. Executive Director Monica Martinez now asks, “I wonder why the sense of urgency when it’s been such a longstanding commitment, 25 years of serving the most in need, then to rush into a six-month plan?” Martinez has the support of Councilman Don Lane, who says, “I am not going to support anything rushed anymore. There are a lot of people in the community who are going to be affected by this.”
This could signal an impending conflict between Lane and Coonerty. Fortunately, they have until June before they have to decide on the allocation of funding for next year’s budget. Read more at the Sentinel.
