August City and State Budget Update

Aug 14, 2009
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Pennsylvania’s legislators must pass a meaningful State budget and permit the City’s sales tax increase. Without a state and city budget that makes sense, people who need behavioral health services won’t get them, workers are losing jobs and struggling to pay their own rent, and homelessness will increase. When the City cannot pay providers to house people who are homeless and to meet the needs of people with behavioral health issues, a ripple effect is sent throughout the community that impacts Philadelphians of all backgrounds.

How does the state budget impact housing, jobs, and services for Philadelphia’s most vulnerable citizens?

A cross-section of Vote for Homes! member organizations reports the following impacts:

  • Housing and service providers report laying off staff, cutting back staff hours, and delaying payments;
  • The number of subsidized apartments is being decreased, meaning that a family who has an apartment today may not have one tomorrow;
  • Men in shelter do not have case management to help them transition out of shelter to housing and/or work;
  • Spaces available in a premier program transitioning people from addiction to work are reduced;
  • Fewer children are receiving mental health services; and
  • Church-based programs and food pantries can’t provide services.

What can we do about it?

Ask your state elected officials to REJECT Senate Bill 850 because massive cuts to housing, education, healthcare, and services are harmful to Pennsylvanians.

  • Senate Bill 850 cuts $95 million from housing programs that are important to real Pennsylvanians and that create jobs.
  • Local library funds are cut 50%, behavioral health services are cut nearly $50 million, and some of the greatest increases are in Corrections, Probation and Parole. Behavioral Health Services Initiative (BHSI) would be reduced by 24 percent ($13.532 million) which would eliminate services to 2,761 individuals with mental illness and 7,500 individuals in need of substance abuse treatment. This is on top the Governor’s $34 million dollar cut to these services.
  • 4,200 kids will lose their health coverage and education programs are slashed across the board.
  • Ask for your State Senator’s or State Representative’s support for restoring the cuts to the budget for housing, services, and education. For help finding your elected representatives, go to www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm

Homelessness hurts all of us. Please protect essential services.

Information collected by the Vote for Homes! coalition – for further information call 215-232-7272 x3042.