San Diego Mayor proposes $12M in arts funding cuts

Local non-profit Voices of Our City Choir fears impact on programs for the homeless

Apr. 16, 2026 at 12:10am

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An impressionistic, blurred scene of people singing and performing together in a dimly lit cathedral space, conveying the warm, welcoming atmosphere of a community arts program.The proposed arts funding cuts threaten to disrupt the healing power of music and community that organizations like Voices of Our City Choir provide to San Diego's homeless population.San Diego Today

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has proposed nearly $12 million in cuts to arts and culture grants in the city's upcoming fiscal year budget, a move that has drawn concern from local non-profit Voices of Our City Choir. The choir, which uses music and the arts to support people experiencing homelessness, relies on around $100,000 in annual city funding and fears the proposed cuts could significantly impact their ability to provide services.

Why it matters

The proposed arts funding cuts come as San Diego faces a $118 million budget deficit. While the city says there will still be $2 million in arts and culture funding, as well as money for public art projects, the reductions are seen as a blow to small arts organizations that provide important community services, especially for vulnerable populations like the homeless.

The details

Voices of Our City Choir, a non-profit that has helped over 275 unhoused people through music and the arts since 2017, currently receives around $100,000 per year in city grants. The organization's leaders say this funding is critical to their operations and fear the proposed 12% cut to the arts budget could 'wreck the rhythm' of their work supporting the homeless community.

  • The City of San Diego released its proposed fiscal year 2027 budget on Wednesday, April 16, 2026.
  • Voices of Our City Choir has received around $100,000 per year in city arts funding for the past 5 years.

The players

Todd Gloria

The Mayor of San Diego who proposed the city's fiscal year 2027 budget, which includes nearly $12 million in cuts to arts and culture grants.

Steph Johnson

The CEO of Voices of Our City Choir, a non-profit that uses music and the arts to support people experiencing homelessness in San Diego.

Lindsey Seegers

The Executive Director of Voices of Our City Choir.

Christine Martinez

The manager of Arts+Culture:San Diego, an organization that is pushing back on the proposed arts funding cuts.

Voices of Our City Choir

A non-profit organization that has helped over 275 unhoused people in San Diego through music and the arts since 2017.

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What they’re saying

“Cutting funding to arts and culture at this level will have decimating, long-term consequences for San Diego's economy and identity. These organizations are small businesses, employers, educators and community anchors. We are urging the Mayor to maintain FY26 funding levels in FY27 to ensure stability for a sector that gives so much back to our city. Many of our community's arts organizations simply won't survive without this funding.”

— Christine Martinez, Manager of Arts+Culture:San Diego

“Going forward, we can continue to work with our partners in the arts and culture community to make this hopefully a temporary situation, but right now this is what the situation demands.”

— Todd Gloria, Mayor of San Diego

“We are providing that safe, calm, welcoming space for people who are experiencing homelessness to stabilize their lives, and so it's not just a cut to the arts, this is a cut to people experiencing homelessness.”

— Lindsey Seegers, Executive Director of Voices of Our City Choir

What’s next

The San Diego City Council will review and vote on the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, including the arts funding cuts, in the coming months.

The takeaway

The proposed $12 million in arts funding cuts by the San Diego mayor highlights the difficult budget decisions cities face, but also raises concerns about the impact on small, community-focused arts organizations that provide vital services, especially for vulnerable populations like the homeless.