4/22/2009 10:22:00 PM
Local homeless shelters get state aid
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Catholic Charities Community Services in Yavapai County is the only agency outside of the Phoenix and Tucson areas to get a one-time special appropriation from Gov. Janet Brewer for homeless shelters.
Brewer said she wanted to provide $771,000 from the Arizona Housing Trust Fund, set up for housing-related needs, to help shelters facing imminent closure. Money from the fund comes from the state's unclaimed property proceeds.
Three Phoenix-area shelters received the lion's share of the money, a combined $680,000, while Tucson got $50,000 and Catholic Charities received $41,000.
"This is really throwing us a lifeline to keep these shelters open," said Cathy Peterson, Catholic Charities division director. "We were worried about closing some, and now we're OK for awhile, six months at least."
Catholic Charities lost about $400,000 during this fiscal year because of state government cuts, she added. It laid off 25 percent of its employees.
And it's worried about more cuts during this budget cycle.
Catholic Charities serves about 50 people a night in 20 shelter units in Prescott, Prescott Valley and Cottonwood, Peterson said.
In this struggling economy, shelter demand is on the rise. Catholic Charities has seen a 27 percent increase in calls about shelter services compared to six months ago, she said.
"What we're seeing is a whole new group of people who never called Catholic Charities before," Peterson said. "They lost their job and their homes were foreclosed on."
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