San Diego County Supervisors voted Tuesday to approve a partnership with three philanthropic organizations — the Prebys Foundation, Price Philanthropies and San Diego Foundation — to help offset deep federal funding cuts that officials said are already straining local safety net programs.
The vote passed 4-1 with Supervisor Jim Desmond opposed saying he supported the concept but needed more information.
"Federal funding reductions are pushing health care and food assistance programs even further out of reach for our most vulnerable," Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said. She called the county’s roughly $300 million in new cost pressures “shocking and troubling.”
The county can’t wait for federal help, she said. “We cannot sit back and hope Washington comes to our rescue. We have to be creative and collaborative and build safety nets to protect San Diego families."
To help fill that gap, the county and the San Diego Foundation will each contribute $18 million over two years, creating a $36 million fund designed to prevent cuts to existing County-funded nonprofit programs. The money, administered by the San Diego Foundation, will keep food distribution sites open, help families stay housed and support basic health services, Lawson-Remer said.
San Diego Foundation CEO Mark Stuart said the partnership is needed because the impact of cuts are happening faster than expected.
“If there was a time to break the piggy bank open, it is clearly this time,” he said.
The partnership also includes $8 million in additional support for emergency food and housing assistance for families who have lost federal benefits.
“These are families having to make the decisions between do we pay rent or do we have a root canal? And what we want to make sure is that families are able to make it here in San Diego,” he said.
Lawson-Remer said the collaboration saves the county an estimated $13 million over two years.
County officials say the partnership gives them breathing room as they work on a more sustainable plan. For thousands of San Diego families, Lawson-Remer said it means food, housing support, and basic health care will continue — at least for now.
