After federal funding freeze, Alameda County allocates $876,000 to support refugee resettlement

Alameda County Dems make their picks tonight in Oakland's special election; San Leandro officials leave controversial closure of Lake Chabot Road in limbo; Hayward has a budget shortfall to deal with

☕️MORNING BUZZ

—About 300 recently-arriving refugees in Alameda County received a lifeline from the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday following the Trump administration’s decision to freeze funding for the federal resettlement program, which provides a legal path to immigration.

—The Alameda County Board of Supervisors approved short-term allocation of $876,500 to three community-based organizations to fill the gap in refugee resettlement services through April 30.

—Three groups, International Rescue Committee of Oakland ($499,600), the Jewish Family and Community Services of Berkeley ($205,100), and Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley ($171,800), will help refugees find housing, buy food, enroll children in school, and procure required documents, among others services.

—After the 90-day resettlement period, refugees are be able to receive county social services. Without the CBO’s help, some county supervisors worries refugees will be at a greater risk of homelessness.

—Supervisor David Haubert, whose district includes a community of Afghan immigrants, said the county’s resettlement services were already lacking in comparison to neighboring counties.

—“We know Alameda County is place where refugees come,” Haubert said. “We have the need to recognize a structural ongoing everyday gap in serving refugees.” Even if feds ultimately reimburse the county for Tuesday’s allocation, Haubert added. “I think we still have a problem.”

—More inside:

• The Tri-Valley already sorely lacks shelter beds. The region’s supervisors teamed up to aid a struggling non-profit fill some of the need.

• Just Cause renters protections in unincorporated Alameda County are in the books, but the long road is still rankling one county supervisor.

• Alameda County Dems meet tonight to decide endorsements in Oakland’s April 15 special election.

• Oakland joins the county, and state Legislature in honoring baseball legend, Rickey Henderson.

• San Leandro City Council left city staff without direction about the closure of Lake Chabot Road.

• How San Leandro repairs its failing roads is likely to rest on a bond measure next year.

• Hayward’s slim budget surplus has turned into a $3.3 million shortfall that needs to be filled by June.

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