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County officials warn Safety Net emergency-housing costs may exceed 2026 budget by millions
Summary
County social services officials told the Audit & Control Committee that Safety Net emergency-housing caseloads and costs remain high; targeted placements cut caseloads but staff said 2026 appropriations may fall roughly $3–4 million short unless additional measures or funding are identified.
County officials told the Audit & Control Committee on April 16 that emergency-housing expenses known locally as Safety Net remain elevated and could outstrip the 2026 budget by several million dollars.
"As of January 1 we were at 262 cases," Commissioner Carmela Hernandez, director of Mental Hygiene and Social Services, said in presenting quarterly caseload data. She said a new PASS (Public Assistance Shelter Supplement) initiative and placements moved people from emergency hotel shelter into cheaper market-rate rentals, trimming caseloads to 198 as of the morning of the meeting. "That’s approximately a 24% reduction," Hernandez said, but she warned the county still faces a high baseline of need.
Finance staff told the committee Safety Net appropriations ran about $14.4 million in 2025 while the county set $11 million in the 2026 budget and later added $1 million. "If numbers continue to trend as they are, we will likely be short roughly $3–4 million," Blake Eric, director of administrative services, said.
Members pressed staff on what is driving the overage: higher caseloads, higher cost per case, or both. Hernandez said the drivers are multi-faceted — limited affordable housing stock, substance-use and mental-health needs, and the county’s role as the safety net for people who have exhausted other options. She said the typical Safety Net case varies widely: some households move through in weeks while others remain for months and require supportive services.
Committee members and staff discussed near-term and longer-term responses. Suggestions included prioritizing prevention and eviction-prevention tools, partnering with local nonprofit providers and the Industrial Development Agency to convert or develop housing stock, and pursuing state or federal capital grants that fund supportive housing projects. Hernandez said she is convening meetings with local nonprofits and housing partners to identify ready-to-go opportunities and to clarify what capital and operational supports would be required.
Chair Shagnan and other legislators urged realistic budgeting for the coming year, noting that repeated one-time draws from county fund balance to pay recurring Safety Net needs would be unsustainable. "We need to be realistic about it and budget for it," a legislator said.
Hernandez asked for continued legislative support as her office pursues both short-term case-management improvements and longer-term housing solutions. She told the committee she would return with more precise projections after further outreach to community partners and after tracking spring and summer caseloads that historically fall in nicer months.
The committee did not take a final funding vote at the April 16 meeting but directed staff to provide updated forecasts and to report proposed budget options ahead of the county’s 2027 budget cycle.
