The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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May 8, 2011

Our View: Homelessness doesn’t vanish with spring

The Free Press

Homelessness doesn’t have a season.

So even when our furnaces were still kicking in at the end of April and beginning of May, at least two dozen men were out in the cold, or at least trying to find a warm spot to live because the Salvation Army seasonal men’s shelter closed.

The calendar may say spring, but that doesn’t mean those who are down on their luck are all of a sudden lucky.

Mankato does have options to help, but they aren’t enough. Local shelters often have waiting lists. CADA House, a shelter for victims of domestic violence, provides women and children a safe place to escape violent domestic situations. Theresa House is an 18-bed homeless shelter for women and children now next to the longtime Welcome Inn shelter downtown. If people are lucky enough to get into Theresa House, they receive help with applying for Section 8 housing and with job searches and child care. Theresa House is attempting to find new quarters and raise the $1.7 million to establish a new facility.

Even with the facilities available, the fight against homelessness will continue. Minnesota is the least affordable Midwestern state to rent housing, according to a study released last week by the Washington, D.C.-based National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Minnesota Housing Partnership.

The study cites that to rent a modest two-bedroom apartment, a Minnesota worker would have to earn $15.79 per hour for a full-time job. The typical renter in Minnesota earns $11.61 per hour and minimum-wage employees make only $7.25.

So it’s just not the mentally ill who are struggling to find places to live. The working poor, who often can’t afford to pay rent or a damage deposit, are sometimes turning to less-than-ideal living situations. One woman at Theresa House said she and her three teens lived in a cheap hotel room without kitchen accommodations until unwelcome visits from a manager caused them to flee.

The positive part of this picture is that the community is becoming more cognizant of the homelessness problem and is coming up with some solutions to tackle it. A couple of months ago, Lutheran Social Service opened The Reach, a drop-in center for homeless youth. The center has helped about 20 teens and young adults since opening with more expected during the summer months and as word spreads about the new center’s existence.

In March, 40 social service agencies gathered at Verizon Wireless Center for a one-stop shopping event for those who are homeless or on the brink. More than 5,000 people in the nine-county area have fallen from middle class to poverty, according to the Minnesota Valley Action Council.

Joel Wortman, a program director at the Salvation Army’s men’s shelter, said the Salvation Army is trying to do more for the homeless population.

Their goal is to partner with area agencies to create a walk-in center where the homeless — or anyone dealing with mental health or chemical dependency issues — can come in and get help finding housing, help with addictions, or help navigating the world of county human services. He is hoping to get grant money and have the center up and running by fall.

Solving the problem of homelessness is complicated. Everyone has their own stories and factors that affect their situation. Efforts to connect people with services and help them rebuild their lives to stability will take a community effort and increased cooperation among the many agencies that can help.

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