Caledonia Argus

County limits emergency assistance

Posted: 7/29/03

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

In a move designed to address the cuts in state funding that hit the county this year, the Houston County board has agreed to limit the total amount of emergency assistance distributed by the human services department to $4,500 per month, the amount available through a state grant. Commissioners agreed that no county dollars would be spent on emergency assistance. The new policy went into effect July 1. Families will be eligible for assistance only once in 18 months.

Beth Wilms, human services director, said that in the past, emergency assistance was a state-mandated service and that the definition of ìemergencyî was ìpretty looseî with little accountability.

Now, said Wilms, the emergency assistance program has been combined with the Minnesota Investment Family Program, and will be given only once every 18 months. If the family receiving assistance has sanctions against it, meaning that they have violated some requirement of being on MFIP, the emergency assistance will not be given.

ìWe donít want to take away the safety net for families that truly need it, but some families abuse the system,î said Wilms.

For housing, the amount of emergency assistance will be limited to two months back rent, said Wilms.

ìIt is not a band-aid approach,î she explained. ì ìThey will be reasonably expected to support themselves in the months ahead.î

There is a 30 day residency requirement before a person is eligible for emergency assistance. That requirement is set by the state, Wilms noted.

The emergency assistance will be available until state funds are exhausted. No county funds will be spent on emergency assistance. The funds can be carried over into another month, but funds cannot be borrowed from a future month.

MFIP update

In another matter, Bonnie Goetzinger, financial services supervisor, informed the board that the county now has 90 MFIP cases. Of those cases, 16 are exempt, meaning that there are special circumstances that will allow them to continue on MFIP beyond the 60 month limit; 12 are in sanctions, and 10 receive only food stamps. The remaining 68 are in compliance.

Working families with subsidized child care will be paying substantially more out of their own pockets beginning in 2004.

Currently, a single parent with one child making $25,000 pays a maximum $142 per month in child care expenses with the state picking up the remainder. In 2004, that parents will pay a co-pay of $260 per month.

A three person household with an income of $25,000 currently has a co-pay of $80 per month. In 2004, that will increase to $119 per month. The co-pay for a four-person household with the same income will increase from $67 to $92.

At the $35,000 level, the co-pay for a two-person household is $333 per month. That household will be ineligible in 2004.

For the three person household at $35,000, the co-pay in 2003 is $314, and will increase to $502 in 2004. In a household of four, the co-pay will increase from $162 to $275. In a five-person household, the child care co-pay will go from $110 to $167.

Goetzinger said that she expects appeals to be made once the higher co-pays go into effect.

Expansion planned for

La Crescent location

The board heard expansion plans from representatives from ABC in Rochester, the agency that operates Woodland Industries in Caledonia and ABC Works in Caledonia and La Crescent.

Steve Hill, executive director of ABC, informed commissioners that a proposal for a expanding the facility in La Crescent has been approved by the board. If all goes according to plan, ground-breaking could take place in the spring of 2004.

The facility will increase the space from 3,000 sq. ft. to 9,800 sq. ft.

Currently, there are nine people from La Crescent who are bused to Caledonia. The transportation cost for those people is $171 per day. If gas is over $1 per gallon, extra is paid for gas as well.

Once the addition is built, the workers from La Crescent will no longer be traveling to Caledonia.

ABC operates ìSmall Change,î a diaper and laundry service, in La Crescent.

Roger McCabe of Woodland Industries updated the board on programs there.

Woodland currently serves 86 clients, up 6 from last year. Of that number, 33 are in center-based employment, 21 in competitive employment, 20 in supported employment and there are 12 in training.

Woodland operated the ìTwice is Niceî used clothing store, which has been a ìhuge success,î McCabe told the board. However, due to budget cuts in the county recycling department, the county will no longer be delivering clothes from the manned dump sites.

McCabe emphasized that the store wants only ìgood, recyclable stuff.î It receives a lot of merchandise which canít be resold, he said, and it presents a problem to get rid of the items. A suggestion was made that the clothing be examined when it is dropped off and anything not acceptable be sent back with the donor.

Judy Wandling from ABC Works reported that the agency now has 76 clients, up from 61 in 2002 and 54 in 2001. Some clients are in a ìsplit programî and spend some of their time at Woodland and some at ABC. Wandling described the various work contracts that ABC clients fulfill. She also informed the board that for the elderly clients, there is an increased emphasis on social activities.

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