San Mateo social services at risk amid missing state funds

San Mateo County leaders are calling on the state to include more than $150 million it owes to local communities in its upcoming budget. 

The missing funding comes from vehicle license fee revenues, which the state is supposed to repay to counties.

But a flaw in the repayment system has left several counties short-changed. 

Samaritan House is one of the nonprofit service providers whose county funding is potentially affected. 

CEO Laura Bent says $9 million is at stake for emergency financial assistance, shelter and food services.

 "If we lose these much-needed services, that means there’s gonna be homeless people on our streets, the mentally ill will be back out on the streets," Bent said. "This will affect everybody's quality of life, so now more than ever, our state legislators need to fix this permanently so that this is not a continued issue and a continued threat to our county."

County officials say they are in talks with the state after filing a lawsuit last year. 

The state assembly is set to hold a hearing on whether to include the funds in the budget later this month.