United Way of California

For Immediate Release                         Contact
January 10, 2020                                     Unai Montes, (Bilingual) 213-476-8742                                                                           

Governor’s January Budget Invests in Housing, Homelessness, and Supports School-Community Collaboratives; But Misses Opportunity to Make CalEITC/Young Child Tax Credit for All


United Ways of California, representing 30 local United Ways across the state, praises investments to counter the housing and homelessness crisis; expresses excitement over decision to fund innovation in local education agency partnerships designed to meet the needs of students; disappointment in the continued exclusion of households using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) from tax credits in today’s state budget proposal 


(Los Angeles, CA) — Statement from Peter Manzo, President and CEO, United Ways of California, (UWCA) regarding Governor Newsom’s 2020-2021 budget:

“We are pleased to see so many of our shared values reflected in the Governor’s January Budget proposal. California continues to experience a revenue surplus heading into 2020, giving the Governor and policymakers greater opportunities to make critical investments in issues facing our state, amounting to a record-high $222.2 billion state budget, while still continuing to ensure a robust rainy day fund. In the coming months, we look forward to a vigorous negotiation process with lawmakers and advocates alike to agree on a final budget that further reflects the values and needs of all Californians, especially those households that are struggling financially to stay afloat. 

For Immediate Release                 Contact
January 10, 2020                             Unai Montes, (Bilingual) 213-476-8742


Governor Newsom’s Budget Proposal Targets Opportunities to Foster Innovative Partnerships Across Silos and Sectors via Community School Investment and Makes Investments in Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and Higher Education

With the promise of universal screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on the horizon, California’s Departments of Health and Education need pathways for coordinating and integrating service delivery, andthe community schools model holds great promise for addressing the needs of students and their families


(Sacramento, CA) — Today the Governor released his budget in which substantial funding is proposed to be allocated towards California’s public education system. We thank the Administration for its continued commitment to invest in the future of children and families by prioritizing education funding, while better recognizing the intersection of academic achievement and the social determinants of health. 

For Immediate Release                           Contact
January 10, 2020                                       Unai Montes, (Bilingual) 213-476-8742


Advocacy Coalition of Over 30 California Organizations Urge Governor Newsom to Add Tax Filers With Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) to Refundable Tax Credits via State Budget

California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) Advocacy Coalition notes that including hard-working California immigrants with an ITIN to both the CalEITC and Young Child Tax Credit would help to lift 200,000 children out of poverty


(Sacramento, CA) — Today the CalEITC Advocacy Coalition urges equitable benefits for all hard-working Californians, regardless of their immigration status. Currently, Californians who file taxes with ITINs—due to their immigration status—are not eligible for the CalEITC or Young Child Tax Credit. Over 200,000 of California’s children are excluded from these critical benefits.

United Ways of California improves the health, education and financial stability of low-income workersand families by enhancing and coordinating the advocacy and community impact work of 31 member United Ways throughout California.

Earlier this year we wrote to the Certification Policy Branch of the SNAP Program Development Division of the Food and Nutrition Service office in the U.S. Department of Agriculture opposing the White House’s proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Click here to read our correspondence. 

Today we underscore our opposition. The new requirements hurt food insecure families.

37% of all California households struggle to stay afloat. And 9 out of 10 of these households have at least one working adult in them. 30% of California residents spend more than a third of their income on rent, and some spend up to 76%, which means that after paying rent, many low-income working families have little to meet all their other needs, such as transportation, medical necessities, child care, and food. Without CalFresh food assistance, hundreds of thousands of low-income working families would go hungry. 

A sad fact of American life is that 40% of households, including middle class earners, would have trouble meeting an unexpected expense of only $400. California and the United States should be doing more to help working families build savings and assets, to move toward financial security.  

The new SNAP requirements take us in exactly the wrong direction. They eliminate benefits for all individuals (including seniors and persons with disabilities) if their assets exceed $3,500. Small savings accounts and other modest assets are all that stand between many households and homelessness. Depriving these families of SNAP food assistance not only guarantees more families will go hungry, it pushes them those lucky enough to have some modest savings to drain them down to zero, putting them at greater risk of catastrophe.

Even Californians who continue to receive CalFresh under the new SNAP requirements are likely to see lower benefits as the program is nearly fully federally funded. Those working to support children will be hit hardest. Especially those working to support young children—60% of all households in California with children under 5 have a hard time meeting their basic needs. And food insecure children experience developmental, educational, health, and other challenges with both short and long term repercussions.  

Our hearts break for the victims of the horrific shootings in Gilroy CA, El Paso TX, and Dayton OH, and for everyone touched by these tragedies. We stand United with these communities and our colleagues at United Way Bay Area, United Way of El Paso County, and United Way of Greater Dayton. 

Unfortunately, we have seen far too many communities across the US ravaged by mass shootings, lives taken in mere seconds, and countless others forever changed by the trauma of our country’s gun violence epidemic. 

We must commit to is addressing gun violence in unequivocal terms as the public health crisis it clearly is and begin to speak plainly about what enables this epidemic. It is well past time that we collectively put a concerted emphasis on gun violence research to inform public health strategies to remove the vectors that give rise to it, and to develop a comprehensive response as a nation to this epidemic ravaging our communities.  

The perpetrators of at least two of these heinous acts were indoctrinated in a dangerous and deadly ideology of white nationalism allowed to fester online, in divisive public rhetoric, and now increasingly spilling into our streets, our churches, our schools — places we gather together in community. That hatred is not mental illness, and it must be squarely faced and rejected by all Americans. 

United Ways around the world work to strengthen families and communities. United Ways of California condemns hate groups and the violence that they engender. We will continue to work in partnership with those that seek to strengthen our communities, celebrate our diversity, and Live United in our never ending quest to build a more perfect union.