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Legal aid groups urge restoration of county funding cut for civil legal services
Summary
Representatives of nine local legal service organizations told the Board of Supervisors that a recently announced 60% reduction to the county's unmet civil legal needs fund and a planned elimination in 2027 would remove essential services for seniors, families and immigrants and shift costs to the county safety net.
Representatives from multiple legal service organizations told the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Monday that recent budget changes will sharply reduce a long‑standing county program for unmet civil legal needs, and they urged the board to restore the funds.
Lisonbee Brenner, executive director of the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, told the board the program had been cut "by 60% for most of us to a pot the size of $310,000" and that the entire funding stream is slated for elimination in fiscal 2026–27 under the current plan. "This important program dates back to 2001 . . . and has long been a recognition by the county that legal aid interventions are a critical part of maintaining our local safety net," Brenner said during the public comment period.
Georgia Basile, directing attorney at Senior Adults Legal Assistance (SALA), said the program funds free legal representation that helps seniors, low‑income households and people at risk of abuse stay stabilized in housing, maintain access to benefits and avoid higher‑cost county interventions. "The legal services delivered by our agencies help low income and vulnerable county residents regardless of citizenship," Basile said.
Lisa Neustrom, managing attorney at Bay Area Legal Aid's Santa Clara County office, warned that defunding would increase reliance on emergency rooms, shelters and law enforcement. Alexis Moody, directing attorney for children and youth at the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, added that many of the services are not replaceable by private attorneys.
Speakers noted that some immigration‑related services receive separate funding but said the loss of general civil legal capacity would still harm survivors of abuse, people facing eviction, and residents contesting public‑benefits denials. Several organizations asked the board to restore fiscal year 2025–26 funding and to work with providers on a transition plan if budget reductions are unavoidable.
No board action to restore the unmet civil legal needs funding was recorded in the hearing; supervisors acknowledged the testimony and said they would consider the comments as they weighed budget options. The administration noted the county faces difficult decisions given federal and state fiscal risks and that staff is working with departments and contractors to prioritize core safety‑net services.
Speakers at public comment who addressed the unmet civil legal needs funding included Lisonbee Brenner (Law Foundation of Silicon Valley), Georgia Basile (Senior Adults Legal Assistance), Lisa Neustrom (Bay Area Legal Aid, Santa Clara County), Alexis Moody (Law Foundation of Silicon Valley), and Richard Konda (Asian Law Alliance).
