More than 20 advocacy and provider associations testified in opposition to proposed human service budget cuts during joint legislative hearings in Albany yesterday.

Advocates described the escalating need for a wide range of human services as the challenges facing low income New Yorkers and other vulnerable populations exacerbated by fallout from the nation’s economic crisis.  They reported a surging demand for services in the areas of emergency food programs, employment training and ESOL programs, housing and anti-eviction services, mental health and domestic violence.

 “UNH members along with non-profits across the State are grappling with how to provide vital services and maintain a safety net for New York’s low-income and vulnerable residents,” said Anthony Ng, Deputy Director of Policy & Advocacy at UNH.

UNH was one of several groups which called for a more balanced response to the State’s critical fiscal crisis in order to mitigate the need for cuts to services vital to so many New Yorkers.  “Now more than ever is the time for true shared sacrifice and the protection of the most vulnerable New Yorkers,” said Ng.  UNH urged state leaders “to address the need for revenues through a fair and responsible revenue solution such as a progressive increase in the personal income tax .”

Stephanie Gendell, Associate Executive Director for Policy and Public Affairs at the Citizen’s Committee for Children, reported that “73% of New Yorkers support income tax increases on individuals earning $250,000 or more a year over reductions in government services” according to a study the organization had recently commissioned.

Youth Services Block Grant

Governor Paterson’s proposal to consolidate a variety of separate youth development and juvenile justice funding streams into a single Youth Services Block Grant drew criticism from several organizations.

“The block grant proposes to combine the Youth Development and Delinquency Prevention (YDDP) program, Special Delinquency Prevention Program (SDPP), Runaway Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) programs, Alternatives to Detention, Alternatives to Residential Placement and Secure and Non-Secure Detention Services and then reduces the combined funds by nearly 25%,” said John P. Albert, Vice President for External Relatons at The After School Corporation (TASC).  “This consolidation will not serve the best interest of children and young people.”

The proposal “dismantles the current effective, cost-efficient long standing youth bureau service system in New York State which provides youth development and prevention services to over two million youth to age 21,” said Jacqueline A. Negri, Executive Director at the Association of New York State Youth Bureaus.  “The combination of detention and prevention services proposed in this proposed block grant is detrimental to our young people.”

The proposed YSBG pits non-mandated preventive and community-based services against mandated detention services at a time when localities face scarce resources,” said Gendel.  She went on to note that “counties will have limited control over the use of detention or alternatives because that decision rests solely with a Family Court Judge.”

“Youth services, delinquency prevention and family support efforts sustained through these funds will be decimated,” said Jim Purcell, CEO of the Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies (COFCCA).  

Significant cuts to Advantage After School Program were also opposed by a number of advocacy groups.

Edie Mesick, State Government Relations Executive, UJA-Federation of New York, noted that a budget cut of over $8 million represented “an overall 31% reduction, which will have a devastating impact on this proven program. Estimates are that 7,500 or more children are in danger of being shut out of after-school programs.”

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