FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

For more information, contact Barbara Fleck,

Chair, Yolo County Homeless Coalition, at 530 / 668-0690

 

 

Yolo County Loses More than $400,000
in Funds Needed for Homeless Shelters and Related Services

 

 

Yolo County , CA -- October 7, 2003: Emergency shelters and homeless support services providers throughout Yolo County collectively lost $264,000 when the county’s application for Federal Emergency Shelter Grant funding was denied last month. The funding sought was earmarked for homeless shelter operations and related services.

 

This was the second major countywide loss of operating funds for the county’s network of homeless emergency support services. The FESG denial followed on the heels of a $150,000 cut in Emergency Housing Assistance Program funds for Yolo County service providers. 

 

“This loss of federal funding will certainly widen the gap in services available to low-income and homeless individuals and families in Yolo County,” commented Yolo  County Department of Employment and Social Services Assistant Director Diana Williams.

 

Many of the organizations that lost FESG funding are in danger of closing or cutting back hours of operation and/or services available. “We are concerned about not only where the homeless are going to stay but also where they are going to eat, take a shower and wash their clothes,” said Yolo County Homeless Coordinator Sam Alongi.  “Without such essential services, many individuals and families will not be able to move forward toward employment and self-sufficiency.”

 

Agencies are still assessing the impact on their programs. Davis Community Meals lost 50% of funding needed to keep open its family transitional housing program. Davis Community Meals Executive Director Bill Pride commented, “The funding we lost paid for approximately 75% of the monthly rental costs we incur each month to house our families. As of December 31st, we will have no funding left to continue to pay rent to house our families. At some point in the next 4-6 weeks, if we have no new funding to continue the program, we will have to make the difficult decision to close the program and make the men, women and children homeless again.”

 

Up to 13,000 meals could be lost at the Yolo Wayfarer’s Center.  At the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center, the loss of FESG funding means that clients and applicants may be sent away, perhaps even returning to their abusers.

 

The Short Term Emergency Aid Committee (STEAC) lost funds used for operating its utilities assistance, rental assistance, and eviction prevention programs.  STEAC Executive Director Tom Martens commented, “The lost grant funds may mean that we will not be able to help by paying the first month’s rent for those moving into permanent housing. In many cases, that financial help makes the difference between a homeless family being able to get off the street or out of a shelter.”

 

The loss of funding also hit hard at the Broderick Christian Center in West Sacramento where the day shelter was closed on September 30 following the news that its request for $53,334 in FESG funds was denied.  This agency had been receiving consistent FESG funding for several consecutive years, including $60,000 in 2002 for day shelter and transitional housing staff. Faith Fellowship Community Church and the Housing Solutions International provided enough funding to reopen the day shelter for the month of October, and may continue to do so until other funding is secured.

 

Yolo Community Care Continuum (YCCC) lost $68,000 in funding for its Safe Harbor Crisis House. “In response to a growing need, YCCC will be doubling the county’s number of mental illness crisis care beds in 2004,” said YCCC Executive Director Kate Hutchinson. “We had planned to use FESG funds to make some of these beds available to homeless individuals in need of crisis mental health services.”

 

Yolo County Child Welfare Services Department will be adversely affected because it depends  on transitional housing programs in order to provide a stable home environment for families in reunification.  In many instances transitional housing programs make it possible for families to reunify with their children rather than leave them in foster care.

Yolo County Adult Protective Services has limited internal ability to pay for emergency housing.  Cuts in services could result in higher risk situations for our elderly and disabled.

             

CalWorks Employment Services (CWES) will be affected by the county’s reduction in funding for transitional housing. This public assistance training and employment division depends on transitional housing programs in order to provide housing and recovery assistance for families transitioning to self-sufficiency.

 

 

About the Yolo County Homeless Coalition:

 

The Yolo County Homeless Coalition is an affiliation of organizations throughout the county whose mission involves directly addressing and providing services related to homelessness. Members include:

 

Nonprofit organizations:

Community Housing Opportunities Corporation

Davis Community Meals

Food Bank of Yolo County

Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center

Short Term Emergency Aid Committee

United Christian Centers (Broderick Christian Center)

Woodland Youth Services

Yolo Community Care Continuum

Yolo Crisis Nursery

Yolo Wayfarer Christian Mission

 

Partners:

County of Yolo

City of Davis

City of West Sacramento

City of Woodland

City of Winters