By Katie Orr
It’s well known that across-the-board federal budget cuts would have a huge impact on the defense industry. But social service programs would be affected as well.
Federal programs that fall under non-defense spending can expect to see about an 8 percent budget cut. That’s real money to organizations like the San Diego Housing Commission. CEO Rick Gentry said the commission receives money from various federal sources.
For instance, last year it received more than $160 million to provide housing vouchers to 14,600 families. Each family got a subsidy of $850 a month. He said something will have to change if the budget cuts go through.
“So we would end up either serving fewer families,” he said, “or serving the same number of families (on) a more shallow basis for each family.”
Gentry said, among other subsidies, the city also gets federal funds to go toward homeless services and the commission uses government money to assist first-time home buyers. Gentry has written to federal lawmakers to express his concern. He said the cuts come after years of already reduced budgets.