Yolo County homeless services cut 55%
The lack of a state budget has hit home at Yolo Wayfarer Center where 55% of staff was cut on Wednesday and 19 substance abuse treatment beds were removed from service. Thirteen full time employees were given lay off notices Wednesday.
"The hope of resolving the cause of homelessness and starting a new life of accountability has been eliminated for a number of individuals, all because the state cannot pass its budget," said Leona Jull, executive director of Yolo Wayfarer Center (YWC). "In 2009, those 19 beds taken out of service were home to 85 clients who successfully eliminated their addictions, reunited with their family, found employment and became responsible citizens. Beginning this week those beds will sit empty."
The immediate loss of nearly $140,000 in state funding also impacted the Yolo County Emergency shelter where currently more than 20 children seek nightly shelter.
"While the primary program affected is Walter's House, we have to also reduce our day services at the Yolo County Emergency Shelter because staff crosses over between both programs and the amount of staff we're left with cannot handle everything. This means that the homeless that we don't have beds for also now have no access to showers, laundry or mail services," Jull said.
YWC was notified last Friday that contracted funding from the State Department of Corrections, already four months behind in payment, would not be realized. The funds are directly contracted to West Care (a substance abuse treatment provider) which sub contracted to YWC to provide 11 of the 44 available beds at Walter's House.
Seven of Walter's House clients will be moved to other programs in the region immediately. YWC is working with partner agencies to relocate these clients to other West Care facilities. The 22 beds to remain available are funded by other grants and will remain open. YWC also accepts private pay for treatment beds.
"This reduction means Wayfarer will not be able to take on any extra projects this year including Thanksgiving baskets for the community," Jull said. "As much as we hate this we just can't ask what few staff we have left to keep doing more and more with less and less."
Two years ago YWC reduced the number of clients who receive overnight shelter from 73 to 50, because of other funding reductions. Jull said the shelter has been at full capacity all summer with mostly families and children impacted by job layoffs and home foreclosures. The shelter is already turning people away. Jull said when the cold weather sets in the shelter will have to turn away more homeless individuals. Families with children will be given top priority.
"The shelter has never seen this high a number of families this early in the year," Jull said. "More than six families including 20 children have had to make the Emergency Shelter their home in July alone."
In 2009 the shelter served 457 homeless individuals including 49 children. From Jan-July of 2010 YWC has already provided emergency shelter to 326 individuals including 41 children.
"These have been incredibly difficult decisions, but beyond our control," Jull said. "Our staff team is like family and to have to make these kinds of cuts has been very painful. It will be felt beyond our organization and into the community as we have to continue to turn away homeless individuals and families, reduce our services and sustain our remaining programs with less than half of the staff we have had in the past."
Donations to reinstate day services and increase the number of beds at the emergency shelter are welcome. Donations may be sent to P.O. Box 1218, Woodland, Ca 95776 (or online at www.ywcmission.org). Volunteers are welcome at meal times. The shelter is located at Fourth and North streets in Woodland.
