President Donald Trump’s administration has already cut almost $7M in funding for Philly’s city government
A vast majority of Philadelphia’s federal money funds health and social services programs for the city’s most vulnerable residents.
President Donald Trump has not yet followed through on his threats to cut federal funding for “sanctuary” cities including Philadelphia. But separately, his administration has already terminated nearly $7 million in grants for the city government, City Solicitor Renee Garcia said Friday.
The cuts, some of which have already been reported, are spread out across several departments:
$3.8 million in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the city’s Office of Emergency Management.
$1.3 million in combined funding from two AmeriCorps grants that were destined for the Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity, which is Philadelphia’s anti-poverty programs, and the city managing director’s office.
$525,000 in AmeriCorps grant funding for the Mayor’s Office of Education.
$1 million from the federal Environmental Protection Agency for the city Office of Sustainability’s efforts to fight environmental racism.
Garcia, a top official in Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration, said the city is “monitoring and tracking the funding status of every federal grant.”
“The Parker administration is keeping every grant or funding within line of sight, even as we remain focused every day on delivering a safer, cleaner and greener city, with access to economic opportunity for all,” Garcia said in a statement. “Our process of monitoring all grants is ongoing and continuous during this very fluid process.”
» READ MORE: How much could Philly lose if Trump cuts funding to cities? Here’s what you need to know.
The list of terminated federal grants represents a moment in time and is subject to change due to the Trump administration’s chaotic approach to reducing spending. Cities and states across the country have reported seeing some federal funding streams cut off, only to reopen within the same day. Other cuts that the White House has sought to push through have been held up or overturned by court challenges.
The nearly $7 million in cuts — which does not include Trump’s reductions in federal aid to private organizations in Philadelphia such as universities and nonprofits — is a drop in the bucket compared to the total amount the city government receives from Washington.
In 2024, the last full year that has been accounted for, the city received about $2.2 billion in federal aid out of an overall $10.7 billion “all funds” city budget that year, Budget Director Sabrina Maynard said in March.
A vast majority of Philly’s federal money that year funded health and social services programs for the city’s most vulnerable residents, including $1.2 billion for the city Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services’ HealthChoices program, which provides mental health and substance abuse treatment for people who qualify for Medicaid.
When discussing the city budget — such as when Parker in March proposed a $6.7 billion city budget plan for the next fiscal year — city officials usually refer only to the general fund, which provides money for core city services and is largely funded by local tax streams.
The “all funds” budget includes all money that passes through city coffers, including some funds that are not typically thought of as part of the city budget. The Aviation Fund, for instance, relies on fees from city airport operations, and federal funding often flows through the separate Grants Revenue Fund.
Spending on traditional municipal services, such as salaries for police officers and trash collectors, is less vulnerable to federal cuts.
But agencies like Department of Public Health, which operates the city’s Federally Qualified Health Centers, and the Department of Human Services, which administers child welfare services, juvenile justice programs, and the foster care system, are highly reliant on federal funds and could be devastated by additional cuts from Washington.