CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cuyahoga County Council began reviewing proposed budget cuts this week that could ripple through the county’s social safety net — potentially reducing or constraining programs that house the homeless, support struggling families and protect kids.

The county spends about a third of its nearly $2 billion budget on health and human services programs, which Council’s finance Chair Meredith Turner called the “heart and conscience of Cuyahoga County.” But even some of those core programs may not be spared as the county works to close funding gaps and braces for major state and federal policy changes, she warned.

“Cuts are painful, especially when they affect programs that serve people who can least afford to lose that support,” Turner said. “Some programs that save lives will

See Full Page