Governor's budget proposal poses grave public safety risk

Washington State Governor Gregoire’s budget proposals for the start of the special legislative session that began November 28, 2011 are devastating to the state’s most vulnerable populations, says the Family Resource Center in Davenport. The magnitude of the recommended cuts will mean drastic reductions in the critical services and resources that programs are already working beyond their capacity to provide. Ultimately, what is at stake is the safety and well-being of our communities.

“The erosion of human services and community safety nets will soon be beyond repair,” said Nan Stoops, executive director of the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. During these difficult economic times, maintaining state funding for these life-saving and life-giving resources is essential. We can no longer use reductions and eliminations as the solution to the budget problem. We must not balance the budget at the expense of public safety,” said Stoops.

Family Resource Center of Lincoln County provides a 24-hour help line, emergency shelter, legal advocacy, general advocacy, housing first services, rental assistance, homeless prevention, and connection to other important social and legal services. It is able to provide client-driven services that are relevant to their personal situation, often helping them in ways that sustain them in their homes.

Since July 2011, Family Resource Center has provided information and referrals 157 times, crime victim services 85 times, domestic violence services 367 times, sexual assault services 55 times and homeless and homeless prevention services 599 times. Time and again, clients report that without the services available at Family Resource Center, they would have been at increased risk for repeated victimization, homelessness, long-term issues associated with trauma, and possible death.

The economy has already had a dramatic impact on individuals and families for whom experiences of domestic violence, sexual assault and/or crime are compounded by unemployment, homelessness, lack of health care and poverty. Beginning in July 2011, Family Resource Center has not received any funding to help folks who have received shut-off notices from utilities. There have been 84 requests for this kind of help so far and they had to be turned away. They were referred them to Rural Resources; Lincoln County’s Community Action Council. The overall stability of our community is directly linked to how well and how often we are able to help those in need.

Family Resource Center is a community-based, grass-roots, non-profit organization serving victims of violence and those who are homeless or are facing homeless-ness. Its largest funder is the state government through grants. Provided is a large menu of services that are client-centered. In addition, shelter is provided for domestic-violence victims and those who are homeless. The homeless shelter remains full, and folks seeking shelter have had to be turned away. The domestic-violence shelter has also sheltered victims throughout this grant year. The four affordable rental apartments consistently remain rented.

It is hoped that, despite the budget cuts, FRC will be able to keep its doors open and continue to provide services to those citizens who are the most vulnerable in Lincoln County.