A new report released by SEIU 521 alleged that Kern County is failing to use hundreds of millions of dollars in state-allocated funds meant for mental health, homelessness, and public safety services.
According to the report, Kern County has:
•$187.9 million in unused Behavioral Health & Recovery Services funds, including $62 million left unspent since 2021.
•$193.1 million in unused 2011 Realignment funds, up $98 million in the last three years.
•$73.9 million in unspent Human Services funds, increasing by $53 million since 2020.
SEIU 521 said the county’s refusal to use these funds is worsening issues like homelessness. Which has grown 12 times faster than the state average, according to SEIU 521.
The union claimed that local leaders are choosing to “stockpile taxpayer money while residents suffer” instead of funding essential services.
“Kern County is broken because the County Board of Supervisors refuses to deploy or declines to apply for state funding allocated to treat mental health, addiction, housing the homeless population, and protecting children in the foster care system,” said Alicia Aleman, Kern County Social Worker and SEIU Local 521 Chapter President in the SEIU press release.
The county previously dismissed SEIU 521’s claims during the Board of Supervisors meeting last month. The County official said the number came from an outdated financial report, not the budget.
“What was also not included is a shortfall of revenue. So if you don’t have revenue, you spend less. Also, there was no consideration for the transfer to other county programs that are not accounted for within our general fund,” said the Kern County official during last month’s Board meeting.
