Public Comments
as of April 27, 2026
Attachment IV
From: Robert Bulatao <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2026 12:29 PM
To: Emily Hwang <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Community Services Commission Meeting
CAUTION:This is an external email. Do not click on links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe.
Hi Emily,
I'm not sure if you're looking for feedback from the arts portion of the funding but I can still give some feedback in case it's relevant. Even though our funding was reduced we're still able to get our project for Hayward residents living below AMI. Currently we only have the funding and space to allot for 10 students and the interest in this program was very high. We had to turn away a few families because we hit our limit for the maximum size of our class, focusing on students ages 10-26. If we had more funding then we could have been able to offer a second time slot for youth in the elementary school age range.
So far we've completed one of our six sessions and the feedback from parents was great. They love watching their children connect with their culture in a way that won't hurt them financially.
Thanks again for the support because it's already making a huge impact on the community.-- Best Regards,
Robert Bulatao
Generation Music & Arts Academy
Executive Director
676 Bockman Rd STE F
San Lorenzo, CA 94580
(510)788-1078
From: Kristin Wagner <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2026 3:50 PM
To: Emily Hwang <[email protected]>
Subject: Comments for ACT 26-020
Hi Emily
Unfortunately I cannot attend tonight so I appreciate you including this.
I want to mention a couple of things regarding the staff recommendations for ACT 26- 020. I understand that you are in a very difficult budget situation, making decisions very tough.. But I want to highlight that CBO's bring tremendous financial and essential services to Hayward families. We provide services efficiently at a lower cost and also use the base funding that we receive from the city to draw other federal, state and foundation dollars. This means that our loss of city dollars means loss of services at a higher rate than you might think.
Specifically at East Bay Agency for Children, we support low income families with food, health care, and other basic needs along with newcomer, parenting and other supports.
Families are extremely stressed right now and this recommendation comes at a time when Hayward Unified is also reducing services to families and eliminating Family Liaison positions. So when families need the most support due to rising costs, scapegoating by the federal government and other stressors, the systems that support them are being eliminated. Please consider finding a way to support the lifelines that CBO's provide to the community.
--
Kristin Wagner, LCSW
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Senior Director, Family and Community Wellness
East Bay Agency for Children
EBAC
2828 Ford Street
Oakland, CA 94601
x1107
Direct: 844.6707
Cell: 707.337.0428
From: Janice Roberts
To: Emily Hwang
Subject: MBBP Statement for Community Services Commission Meeting Date: Thursday, April 23, 2026 3:07:16 PM
Attachments: image001.png
image002.png
image003.png
CAUTION:This is an external email. Do not click on links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe.
Dear Emily,
Thank you, as always, for your feedback and assistance. Can you give the Commission the following statement from Mercy Brown Bag?
We at Mercy Brown Bag understand that everyone right now has squeezed budgets, and from time- to-time part of being a good partner is stepping up to take on more of the load. We have continued to provide fresh, healthy groceries twice a month to almost 600 low-income seniors, in spite of your reductions. We do this because we know that for the vast majority of these neighbors, we are ALL or MOST of their food for the month, and we cannot in good conscience abandon them.
To that end, we provided over 20,000 pounds a food every month last year, valued at over $400,000, across 8 distribution points in Hayward. That food went to Hayward residents that average $1,068/month in income, are 78 years of age on average, and are over 90% people of color—in other words, some of your most vulnerable residents.
We do not believe you can continue to balance your budget on the backs of neighbors most in need of a safety net. In light of these facts, we ask you to reconsider your position going forward into FY27-28, and reinstate this partnership. We look forward to again working hand-in-hand to serve the community.
In partnership,
Janice Roberts
Executive Director, Mercy Brown Bag
From: Emily Hwang <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2026 2:39 PM
To: Janice Roberts <[email protected]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] FW: Community Services Commission Meeting Hi Janice,
I’m responding to your voicemail. Please see the below information for tonight’s CSC Meeting and From: Nancy Rivera
To: Carol Lee
Cc: Emily Hwang
Subject: Re: Notification Letter for Monitoring of City of Hayward Funded Activities for FY 2024-2025 Date: Thursday, April 23, 2026 4:19:39 PM
Attachments: image001.png
image002.png
20260423162124737.pdf
CAUTION:This is an external email. Do not click on links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe.
Hi Carol,
The day got the best of me yesterday at this time I think it may be too late for me to share comments regarding the funding for 26/27 but I thought I would still include in this email. I hope there is reconsideration in the near future and hope to work with the team again.
COMMENTS REGARDING THE 2026-2027 FUNDING CUTS
On behalf of A-1 Community Housing Services, a HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agency, please find this email with our concerns and comments regarding the proposed funding cuts for Fiscal Year 2026-2027
Our agency's primary mission is to serve and support our community, particularly its most vulnerable residents, by providing critical housing counseling, foreclosures prevention, and financial stability services.
These services are increasingly essential as economic pressures continue to impact low - and moderate-income households throughout Hayward.
Recent housing data underscores the urgency of maintaining these services. In Hayward alone, there are currently hundreds of properties in various stages of foreclosure, including pre- foreclosures and auction listings, reflecting ongoing housing instability in our community.
Additionally, foreclosure activity has been rising both statewide and nationally, with California experiencing a year-over-year increase in filings and approximately 1 in every 435 homes facing foreclosure-related action.
These trends highlight the growing need for early intervention and counseling services to prevent displacement and homelessness.
The proposed reductions/ cuts in funding will and have significantly impacted not only our organization, but also many of our partner agencies who are collectively working to meet this rising demand. As more households seek assistance due to inflation, increased housing costs, and economic uncertainty, our capacity remains limited by available resources.
We are already experiencing increased demand for services while operating with constrained staffing and funding. Further reductions will inevitably result in longer wait times, reduced service availability, and fewer households receiving the support they need to avoid foreclosure or housing instability.
We respectfully urge the City of Hayward to reconsider these proposed funding cuts and to recognize the essential role that housing counseling agencies play in stabilizing families and preserving the health of our community. Continued investment in these services is not only critical for the residents we serve, but also for the long-term economic resilience of Hayward.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter further and to collaborate on solutions that ensure continued support for our community’s most vulnerable populations.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Thank You,
Nancy Rivera
April Newsletter