Chinatown residents protested Wednesday against proposed cuts to funding meant to ensure they can live in safe housing free of code violations, reports CBS San Francisco.
Mayor London Breed’s budget includes the elimination of $5 million from the SRO Collaborative housing program and the Code Enforcement and Outreach Program.
Cupping Tan has lived in a Single Room Occupancy unit with her husband and daughter for four years since they immigrated from China. The typical unit includes a single room with a shared bathroom and kitchen. She is concerned not only for her family but other low-income residents as well.
“If this budget is going to be cut down, they feel even depressed to live in such bad place. And they have no idea what to do because of the language barrier. They need to take care of their families. They need to work,” Tan added.
Lixiang Yang and her two children are some of the lucky ones. They received a voucher to move out of their SRO and into section 8 subsidized housing.
“Without their help, I would be living here forever,” Yang told The San Francisco Standard in Mandarin. “There’s no way I can afford to move out.”
The programs being cut provide assistance to families living in poverty and offer help dealing with landlords with their housing problems.
“Many first-generation Chinese immigrants don’t speak English, and they can’t even negotiate with their landlords if they are having troubles,” said Becca Huang, who works with the Collaborative.
The city is facing a projected budget deficit of $290 million and the mayor says tough choices must be made.
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