As part of “Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week” the cities of West Fargo, Fargo, and Moorhead are teaming up to combat chronic homelessness in their communities. Reporter Todd McDonald has details...
Rob Swiers is Executive Director of Fargo's Men's Shelter, the New Life Center. He says there are efforts being made on many levels to address the issue of homelessness, but it's continually compounded by increasing demand and a shortage of resources.
“When we compare the last fiscal year, two fiscal years ago, to our last one, we've seen an 8% increase in the number of individuals looking for help. We would have seen a lot larger number, I believe, had we had the space for it. So that's the number of increase, and we're basically at max capacity.”
Swiers and the new Life Center hosted an event for the media Thursday, allowing representatives from the six area shelters to tell their story. The mayors from the three cities also joined with the collective. Swiers says with winter setting in, this strength in numbers approach is being launched at a perfect time.
“We averaged seven turn-aways every single day during the warm months. That's in July. So what's going to happen this winter? And that's why we decided because there wasn't a clear plan for overflow, we're going to step up and meet that need.”
Part of meeting that need could come in the form of new shelter space near the new Life Center.
“We are looking at actually starting a winter overflow shelter across the street, and we are in the process of actually standing that up because the need is so great in our community.”
Organizers from each of the shelters say the recent government shutdown gave us a look at the hardship in our communities. They are now asking those same community members to continue the effort in lending a hand up.
For Prairie Public, I'm Todd McDonald.