“There are folks with HIV who will die on the streets in Philadelphia,” says Philadelphia City Health Commissioner Donald Schwarz, thanks to $41 million in cuts coming down from the state that will devastate already stretched-thin budgets for mental health, HIV/AIDS, homeless and other services.
By the numbers:
- Mental health residential programs to lose 500 to 600 beds
- Some 4,000 mental health patients to lose services
- Six to eight walk-in centers for mentally ill to be closed
- Loss of 437 beds at drug and alcohol addiction centers
- Cuts in support for 3,000 mentally disabled people
- Public housing to kick 575 families out on the street
