Two homeless shelters in Delaware County and a rental assistance program are shutting down in four days because of the state budget impasse, writes Ximena Conde and Gillian McGoldrick for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The closures are considered temporary until a Pennsylvania budget is approved, but it will be a major hardship to homeless services, which are already overextended.
The county spends, on average $12 million a month on homeless shelters and other services for children and youth, mental health needs, and substance abuse disorders.
Now that money isn’t there, so local service providers can’t be paid.
“We had hoped the impasse would be resolved much sooner and had fully funded our providers through September, but unfortunately, we can no longer fully fund providers without the funds from the state,” county spokesperson Mike Connolly said.
Wesley House and Family Management Center, which houses more than 110 people, is closing at the end of October.
The Community Action Agency of Delaware County’s three shelters will have to cut services or close, its executive director, Ed Coleman, said.
Life Center, which shelters 50 people, has cut its capacity by half.
Mental Health Partnerships reports more people on the streets because fewer places are available.
Read more about Delaware County’s homeless services crisis in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
