08-04-2025
‘The issue is we're now in limbo': DOGE cuts impact Kern County food and housing assistance programs
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Amid continued federal funding cuts from the Trump administration, the future of various federal programs remains unclear.
In Bakersfield, families seeking food and housing assistance are already being turned away. Food pantries and organizations in town predict the impact will only grow — perhaps within the next month.
For families struggling to make ends meet, the Salvation Army in Bakersfield is often the last glimpse of hope.
'We are the last resort,' said Capt. Clinton Trimmer, a corps officer with the Bakersfield Salvation Army.
'What we are talking about is people who have received either an eviction notice or people who have received a pay or quit notice. So, these are people who are in an emergency situation. It's not just they have fallen behind. They are in danger of homelessness,' said Trimmer.
What allows Captain Clinton Trimmer and his team to help are federal funds from The Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) of FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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To help prevent homelessness, this program — started in 1983 — funds housing, food and supportive services.
'It's been a stable program, and it may still be a stable program. We don't know. The issue is we're now in limbo,' Trimmer noted.
With that yearly funding, The Salvation Army helps dozens of families. Last year, 35 households got rent or mortgage assistance and 54 households got utilities assistance.
In 2023, 58 households got rent or mortgage assistance. 155 got utilies assistance.
Since 1984, when the Salvation Army began utilizing EFSP funds, Trimmer said more than 1,200 households got rent and mortgage assistance; more than 2,200 got utilities assistance.
Additionally, Trimmer mentioned, his call logs show he typically gets around 150 calls monthly asking for either rent or utility assistance.
Approximately 60 of the calls will be for rent or mortgage assistance, while approximately 110 of the calls will be for utility assistance.
Trimmer also said this funding specifically is used for the Salvation Army's Homeless Prevention Program — rent, mortgage and utility assistance.
In recent weeks and days, he's had to turn families away.
'We just aren't able to provide that assistance,' he stated.
Trimmer detailed that even with guaranteed EFSP funding, there's more demand that supply.
'It's a constant struggle between trying to find funds and the growing need,' he said.
Here in Kern County, 10 organizations applied and received funding last year (called Phase 41 funding) — including The Open Door Network, The Mission At Kern County and the Community Action Partnership of Kern — known as CAPK.
'There's a total pause on all Emergency Food and Shelter Program funding,' said Eric Arias, CEO of United Way of Central Eastern California. 'So, that means Phase 42, which would be that new phase of funding, which has been in existence for decades and has been a reliable source of funding for a lot of our nonprofits, but also, for those who are owed funding for awards that have been previously done in previous phases, they're also not able to pull down that funding at the moment.'
Arias explained he and United Way serve as the middleman in EFSP fund allocations — the funds are given to them, and the group distributes the funds to select Kern County organizations.
CAPK's food bank administrator told 17 News it uses EFSP funds to supplement community food donations.
Consequently, it's already buying less food, and there will likely be a trickle-down effect to the 150 agency partners they distribute food to.
It warned families may be impacted within the next month.
Lauren Skidmore of The Open Door Network told 17 News due to the uncertainty in EFSP funds, the organization has seen an impact in food purchases for its domestic violence and homeless shelters.
Another specific example — for food pantries like Catholic Charities, CAPK is the only supplier.
Most of their food comes from CAPK for free.
So, if there are cuts to CAPK because of the limbo situation with EFSP funds, that means CAPK can't purchase as much food.
That reduces how much food these food pantries get, and thus Kern County families get.
'We're able to bring them food. It's a culturally appropriate menu, so we bring things like rice, beans, chicken,' said Beatriz Trevino, site director of Catholic Charities.
Trevino stated EFSP funds allow them to serve rural communities and provide rent and utility assistance.
With the freeze, the organization hasn't been able to offer the latter.
'We're just having them check back in with us because when funds are available, we'll still of course be able to provide that service to anyone that needs it,' said Trevino.
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