Santa Ana : Rally to Protest Cuts in Community Grants

A rally will be held in Birch Park April 12 by groups protesting the Reagan Administration’s proposal to cut off community development block grants in 1987, grants used by the cities for a variety of programs.

A group called the Coalition for Liberty, Health and Housing for All is organizing the rally, which will include the Housing Coalition of Orange County, Urban League of Orange County, Lutheran Social Services, the Feedback Foundation and the Dayle McIntosh Center for the Disabled. According to a statement issued by the group, the proposed cuts in block grants would mean a loss of more than $15 million in county revenues.

The money pays for homeless shelters, housing for seniors, rental assistance, public works such as street improvements and other programs. Dunne said the rally will also include protests of cuts in federal housing funds and Medicare.

“I think Orange County is typically seen as an affluent county but there are a lot of people here who will be affected by the cuts,” she said. “Our goal is basically to have our congressional leaders listen to those people.”

Santa Ana Mayor Dan Griset will be one of the featured speakers, along with Joyce Owens-Smith, president of the Urban League, and Morris Spatz of the Orange County Housing Authority. Maya Dunne, director of the county’s Fair Housing Council, said congressional and state representatives have been invited.