Sacramento LGBT Center considers reducing services as it faces funding cuts
The Sacramento LGBT Community Center warned that hundreds of youth, many at risk of homelessness or in crisis, could lose access to life-saving mental health counseling and gender-affirming care if the City Council fails to approve additional funding.
A $500,000 loss for the center from a terminated federal grant has already affected youth and adult mental health services, said Executive Director David Heitstuman.
'We do have another $1.2 million in federal funding that could be at risk depending on federal action,' Heitstuman said. 'So, we are in a very challenging position as an organization that's sort of at the top of the target list for the administration, which makes this funding even more vital.'
The center provides counseling, drop-in respite care, and community resource navigation under its mental health program. Additionally, the center holds Coming Out, Golden Grounds LGBTQ Elders, Transgender, and Twenty-Somethings support groups.
Jon Garcia, director of youth and family programs, spoke at the May 20 City Council meeting and estimated that the center serves about 400 youth aged 14-24, who predominantly reside in the city of Sacramento. Of these 400, 20% identify as African American, 12% identify as Latinx, 42% are homeless or at risk of being homeless, and 17% have had prior foster care experience.
At the center, 33% of recent mental health clients required emergency intervention for suicidal ideation or attempts, 84% of whom were youth, Garcia said. The center has requested $1.5 million from the City Council, through the city's Measure L to address this growing need.
At the May 20 meeting, representatives from the center recommended the adoption of a scenario to provide $417,000 in funding. The council will vote on the funding Tuesday.
During the meeting, Rene Kausin, youth development project manager for the city's Department of Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment, explained that the awards were funded by taxes on cannabis operations to child and youth services.
The funds were then guided by an investment plan adopted by the city last September to support youth and youth violence prevention programming to nonprofits and public entities. Organizations that qualify must apply for the grants through a competitive process. The grants range from $25,000 to $500,000, pulled from a pool of $17.9 million.
When asked about the implications if the center were unable to receive the grant, Heitstuman said that cuts would have to be made.
'It means that we're going to continue to have a big deficit in our region for LGBTQ-affirming services, particularly dire for low-income folks, who don't have access to be able to pay for an affirming provider,' Heitstuman said. 'And if we aren't able to secure funding to continue this program, it's going to mean that we're going to have to make service reductions.'
Heitstuman is optimistic, though, that the council will approve the funding or create their own allocation plan to support the center.
'It's really, really hard to replace hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in grant funds with $20 donations,' Heitstuman said. 'With all the economic uncertainty and the lack of availability of funding at the federal and state level, we really do need to see local officials step up and support our business.'
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