Sequester Cuts Could Mean More Homeless In Permian Basin
By: Jenne Anderson
Updated: February 28, 2013
ODESSA -- Cara Evenson-Dorethy is the Executive Director of Family Promise of Odessa.
"We have 14 local churches, of all denominations, that assist our families," explained Evenson-Dorethy. "And what they do is they open up their church, and our families stay there at night."
Right now the organization houses at least 1 family every week, and they're usually booked for months.
"We're unable to help more families unfortunately at this time," said Evenson-Dorethy.
Now that the Federal Government plans to cut back funding for homelessness programs like Family Promise, more than 100,000 additional people will be pushed to the streets nationwide- Including some of the people housed with Family Promise.
"That's very unfortunate," said Evenson-Dorethy. "Unfortunately here in Odessa we don't have availability for assistance like that."
Without a place to stay, many will be forced to find other ways to escape the cold.
On Wednesday night a fire broke out at an abandoned warehouse in West Odessa.
The incident is still under investigation, but the fire department says it was probably started by a group of squatters- who lit a fire to keep warm.
"It was determined it was broken into," said Odessa Fire Investigator Johnny Prieto. "But right now, the fire is being investigated as undetermined."
Prieto says they've extinguished several squatter fires in the past, and so far, the number has gone down this year.
But there's no telling what will happen if the homeless population rises.
Family Promise says they will try to find funding in other places, to make up for what's lost.
But that funding hasn't been secured yet.
The sequester cuts are expected to Friday night, but we probably won't see any effects until months down the road.
Like Jenne Anderson's page on Facebook!
"We have 14 local churches, of all denominations, that assist our families," explained Evenson-Dorethy. "And what they do is they open up their church, and our families stay there at night."
Right now the organization houses at least 1 family every week, and they're usually booked for months.
"We're unable to help more families unfortunately at this time," said Evenson-Dorethy.
Now that the Federal Government plans to cut back funding for homelessness programs like Family Promise, more than 100,000 additional people will be pushed to the streets nationwide- Including some of the people housed with Family Promise.
"That's very unfortunate," said Evenson-Dorethy. "Unfortunately here in Odessa we don't have availability for assistance like that."
Without a place to stay, many will be forced to find other ways to escape the cold.
On Wednesday night a fire broke out at an abandoned warehouse in West Odessa.
The incident is still under investigation, but the fire department says it was probably started by a group of squatters- who lit a fire to keep warm.
"It was determined it was broken into," said Odessa Fire Investigator Johnny Prieto. "But right now, the fire is being investigated as undetermined."
Prieto says they've extinguished several squatter fires in the past, and so far, the number has gone down this year.
But there's no telling what will happen if the homeless population rises.
Family Promise says they will try to find funding in other places, to make up for what's lost.
But that funding hasn't been secured yet.
The sequester cuts are expected to Friday night, but we probably won't see any effects until months down the road.
Like Jenne Anderson's page on Facebook!
