Another Perfect Storm: Falling Revenue, Rising Need

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-08-28 06:12:00 UTC
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Today, on the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, homeless service providers are facing another perfect storm: With scores of newly homeless people lining up for assistance, providers are struggling to meet the demand despite dramatic budget shortages. How long can this juggling act be sustained before something gives?

Although $1.5 billion in stimulus fund assistance is just starting to be dispersed, service providers told USA Today that these funds will only make up for a part of the funding gap. The real issue lies with fiscal 2010 state budget shortages, which are rampant.

Already, the quantified impacts of these shortfalls aren't pretty, according to USA Today:

• In Illinois, services have been cut 15% this year while shelter demand increased 50%.

• In Arizona, the state eliminated funding for shelter beds for 1,100 families, says Tim Schmaltz of the Protecting Arizona's Family Coalition.

• In Colorado, funding for the Aid to the Needy Disabled Program, which helps 6,400 people, will end in January. "It will put hundreds of people on the street," says Tom Luehrs of the St. Francis Center in Denver.

• In Washington state, a pilot program that helped released convicts find housing has been eliminated, says Alison Eisinger of the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness.

What's more, even states that haven't seen cuts in homeless services (like Massachusetts) are seeing increases in demand for shelter beds.

If ever there was a moment to consider giving a gift of time or money to your local service provider, this is it. When it comes to keeping your community safety net intact, no donation is too small and no volunteer help is too insignificant.

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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