Caledonia Argus

Loss of funding a concern for Houston County Women's Resources

Posted: 6/24/03

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

A safe home program facilitated by Houston County Womenís Resources (HCWR) provides immediate, short-term respite for women and children who feel threatened in their own homes. Funding for the program, though, was cut by nearly 50% by the 2003 Minnesota Legislature.

HCWR Director Linda Riddle said providing direct services like the safe home program is a priority of HCWR, and the agency will not turn away women and children from services like the safe home program for lack of money. But the budget cuts to the safe home program will likely mean reductions elsewhere in HCWR.

ìWeíll simply do as much as we can afford and as much as we have time for,î Riddle said. ìWeíve always done more for less, now weíre going to do less for less.î

Monies allotted to the safe home program were not the only HCWR funding reduced this year. Some funding remained fully intactñ such as dollars for June Kjome Place, a transitional housing program in Caledonia for victims of domestic violence, which is funded through HUDñ but some funding sources were eliminated altogether.

A Victims of Crime federal grant, which last year provided HCWR with nearly $40,000, will not be available as of July 1. Child Abuse Prevention funding of $2,000 was completely cut. Federal funding for transitional housing through TANF, which provided HCWR with $35,000 last year, will be eliminated as of July 1. Dollars provided by MN CFL through the Office of Economic Opportunity is expected to be reduced by about $15,000.

HCWR management is buckling down and prioritizing before the cuts take effect. While the agency is trying to shield direct services like the safe home program, other areas have not been so lucky. Two staff positions at HCWR were vacated in the past yearñ an office manager position and a development coordinator positionñ and the vacancies will remain unfilled. Also, staff development programming is expected to greatly decrease in order to preserve funding for direct services.

Classroom seminars have been a staple service of HCWR, providing information on domestic violence, bullying, and gender issues to schools throughout the area. But the funding cuts are expected to greatly reduce this service.

ìWeíll make every effort to accept invitations and go into classrooms, but direct service has to be our priority,î Riddle said. ìItís always cost effective to put effort into preventing bad situations and providing the knowledge to live violence-free lives, but with smaller staff, we may not be able to do that.î

While HCWR is not hesitant to reduce services in the face of inordinately extreme cuts, a commitment to keeping services like the safe home program has meant relying on alternative sources of funding.

Costs associated with the safe home program include a 24-hour crisis line, stipends to safe home providers, and transportation costs. To help foot the bill, HCWR will be turning to donations, fundraisers, and HCWR membership fees.

HCWR, as with other agencies statewide, will pull through the tough budget times in one piece, Riddle noted, but the fact that HCWR and other such agencies must somehow muster the necessary funding on their own is something concerned citizens should be aware of.

ìI feel confident that we will make it, but the challenge is really for the larger community and society to respond to the needs of their neighbors,î she said. ìNothing can, and nothing should, take the place of the State.î

ìThe State has an obligationñ a social covenantñ to address and support the needs of victims,î she added, ìand without that, no parts of the criminal justice system will function properly and public safety will suffer. The community is going to have to see real cuts, real pain, and real disruption in order to demand a change.î

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