Tuesday is deadline day for human services programs.
And that means a tough vote for King County council members.
The county, facing a budget crunch this year, scaled back spending for human services by providing funding for half a year.
The money runs out June 30 – on Tuesday. Human services advocates say that unless the county can come up with some more money, people will suffer.
Last week, we wrote about the Tenants Union of Washington. The organization, which runs a hotline (206-723-0500) to answer questions about tenant rights and advocates for changes in the law, is preparing to shut down if it can’t raise $25,000 from donations or the county.
On Monday, Mike Heinisch, Co-Chair, King County Alliance for Human Services, an advocacy group made up of social services organizations, said programs for domestic violence victims, King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, would have to make cuts.
Fewer people will be answering hotlines, and women in crisis will have a harder time reaching people to get help.
Senior centers would also have to make cuts, making it more difficult for seniors to be able to get medical screening, he said. (For a full list, see below.)
Human services organizations are hanging their hopes on a proposal by King County Executive Kurt Triplett to provide about $1.2 million in funding for the rest of this year. Triplett would spend part of the county’s reserve and spend state money meant for new efforts to sustain the existing programs. The state gave the county more flexibility on spending money for new programs this past legislative session.
The council’s budget committee will hear the proposal Tuesday morning. But even traditional advocates for human services spending on the council like Bob Ferguson, D-Maple Leaf, have doubts.
The county already faces a projected $46 million deficit next year and a $50 million shortfall in 2011.
“You can always come up with money for a one-time thing. But how do we sustain these programs?” he said. “Right now there isn’t any money. There are just a lot of tough budget choices we have to make. We just don’t have the money to sustain it right now.”
A tax increase isn’t in the cards, he said. So spending money now just means making the budget picture worse and possibly jeopardizing other human services in six months, he said.
However, Ferguson said council members may consider a slimmed-down version of Triplett’s proposal instead.
Proposed funding for social services programs
Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services 9,720
Advocates for Abused and Battered Lesbians 7,629
Asian Counseling & Referral Svs 8,538
Auburn Youth Resources 27,096
Black Diamond Comm Ctr - Seniors 4,220
Catholic Community Services 12,857
Central Area Senior Ctr 7,921
Child Care Resources 93,602
City of Burien - Highline Senior Center 3,597
City of Issaquah - Senior Center 19,362
City of North Bend - Cmty Srvcs
City of Pacific - Senior Outreach 17,157
City of Seattle - Unincorporated Transportation 5,163
Consejo Counseling and Referral Service 19,849
Criminal Justice - Homeless Services 50,000
Crisis Clinic 67,143
Domestic Abuse Women's Network 27,876
Eastside Domestic Violence Program 35,168
Elder Health Northwest 9,680
Executive Service Corps 15,000
Family Services 8,958
Federal Way Senior Center - Lakeland 24,510
Food Lifeline 81,000
Friends of Youth 53,129
Harborview Medical Center 27,731
History Link 25,000
King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence (KCCADV) 4,477
King County Jobs Initiative (Contractors) 18,742
King County Sexual Assault Resource Center 81,776
New Beginnings 2,584
New Futures
North Helpline / Foodbank Network 5,100
North Urban Human Services Alliance
Northshore Adult Day Care Alliance 31,433
Northshore Youth and Family Services
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
One America (Hate Free Zone) 15,000
Pacific Science Center 15,000
Refugee Women's Alliance 9,720
Salvation Army 2,584
Seattle Indian Health Board 9,720
Northshore SC 14,706
Southeast SC 24,510
West Seattle SC 24,510
Snoqualmie Valley Adult Day Health 4,304
Solid Ground (Fremont Public Association in 2007)/Mortgage Assistance 161,086
Tenants Union 20,000
The VERA Project 25,000
Unemployment Law Project 12,500
United Indians of All Tribes 22,049
Washington Adult Day Care Alliance 5,297
Women's Program 7,500
WSU Cooperative Extension Addition 49,027
YWCA 55,088
TOTAL 1,283,619
