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What happens when a county runs out of money for homeless services?

One county in California may be about to find out.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, who are staring at a $122 million budget deficit for the fiscal year that begins July 1, may have to make dramatic cuts proposed for health and human services programs serving the county's most vulnerable citizens, including the homeless.

Program administrators and members of the public warned that the consequences would be dire. "We're being reduced to Third World standards of care," said Scott Seamons of the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California.

The proposed budget provides enough money from the general fund to support homeless programs for two months. After that, unless money is found elsewhere, more than 3,000 beds for homeless people could disappear, resulting in more men, women and children living on the streets.

Read the Sacramento Bee report here.

Full post as published by the 13th juror on June 20, 2010 (boomark / email).