$95,000 or 40% of our budget. No more services to people outside of the City of Madison, no more housing lists, no more eviction prevention dollars, no more mediation project? Worse yet, these funds are actually cut out of the budget, they are just in the budget as services “TBD”. A clear signal that we are being pitted against the Permanent Day Center. This is the official notice from the county that Lynn Green, the Director of Human Services is recommending to Joe Parisi that he eliminate funding for the Tenant Resource Center in the 2014 budget. Its a form letter everyone got with a copy of the budget page that says nothing except -95,000. So, what would this mean for the Tenant Resource Center?
WHO WE SERVE AND NUMBERS OF PEOPLE SERVED
– More than 100 people would not get eviction prevention assistance and may be evicted. The county gives us $5,000 for this. TRC also has FEMA (now EFSP) funds and raises private money that is usually $10,000 – $20,000 in additional money.
– Over 4,000 people would not get our services every year.
Total people served – 10 year average 2001-2011
Phone: 2,397 Walk-in: 4,226 Total: 7,517
Since cutting to ½ time hours (2012):
Phone: 1,497 Walk-in: 2,762 Total: 4,489
Even tho the county did not give us any increases in funding since 1998, we continued to do all the work until the $104,000 we were getting from the county was costing us over $140,000 and we couldn’t afford to continue doing it. However, we are still serving 60% – 65% of clients on phone/walk-in basis after going to half time.
The people we serve are among the most vulernable in Dane County, the 10 year average 2002-2012 income of people we served is:
Very low/No income: 37%
Low Income: 45%
Homeless/At-Risk: 13%
– We use this money to justify doing housing counseling outside the City of Madison because our other funding comes from the City of Madison and UW Madison. Housing Counseling for those in Dane County outside the City of Madison:
2006 – 2012 average: 1,404. They would no longer be receiving our services.
We have many, many, many more statistics that we keep, but this is just a taste of it.
SERVICES TO CLIENTS AND AGENCIES
We currently maintain Housing Lists for over 50 agencies that use them on a regular basis.
Weekly Housing Vacancy List
Subsidized and Public Housing
Section 42 and Other Affordable Housing Projects
Flexible Landlord List
Community Resource Guide / 2-1-1
Shelter & Transitional Housing for Single Women
Shelter & Transitional Housing for Single Men
Shelter & Transitional Housing for Families
Less Expensive Short-Term Housing Options
2,200 people looked at this page on our website in the past 30 days as of 8/26/2013. Many agencies rely on this information to provide to their clients. That is over 12,000 hits per year for this information. The most time consuming of these is the weekly vacancy list and that will most certainly go away.
OTHER SERVICES LOST
– Spanish speaking staff would be eliminated. Which means we would also no longer have our materials in Spanish unless we can find another grant to do it – but with 3 staff people doing double the work, there won’t be much time to write grants.
– Supplemental funding for the Housing Mediation Program wouldn’t be available and 20 – 30% of the clients who use that service are outside the City of Madison. This could mean the end to that program as well because when the federal pass through money fluctuates we won’t have money to keep the service going.
– If we are not at the Housing Help Desk where people go for W-2, food stamps, childcare assistance, unemployment, DVR, etc, transportation to additional locations to get services will be needed and that is virtually non-existent for most of our very low or no income clients. Often we need to see the person face-to-face to look at their lease, eviction notices, letter from the landlord, etc and many people who get our materials don’t have access to a computer or printer.
– We received $894,901 average in eviction prevention requests 2001 – 2011, and $558,474 in 2012 (62% of former average). We received $240,298 average in security deposit requests in 2001 – 2011 and $117,773 in 2012 (49% of former average). These are clients that although we do not have funds to assist, we educate about their options and their rights under the law (ex. getting a security deposit back as far back as 6 years ago) as well as provide information and referral to other agencies.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. Email Lynn Green and Joe Parisi (feel free to include the county board supervisors as well) to let them know you think this cut is not a reasonable one. Parisi will be preparing his budget over the next month or so and it will be out in the first week of October. green@co.dane.wi.us, parisi@countyofdane.com, county_board_recipients@countyofdane.com (If you include the county board supervisors, sign your name with your address so they know whose constituent you are.)
2. Attend the Homeless Issues Committee Meeting tonight at 6:30 in room 354 of the City County Building to show support and hear what Lynn Green has to say about this cut.
3. Attend the Public Hearing on the County Executive Budget next Tuesday.
A public hearing will be held on Tuesday, September 3rd to receive comments on the Dane County Department of Human Services’ proposed $250.6 million budget for 2014. This year there will be one hearing for the entire Human Services budget. The hearing is being held by Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and the Dane County Board of Supervisors, along with the county Long Term Support Committee, the county Human Services Board, and the Area Agency on Aging Board of Directors.
The hearing will be held in the Mendota 1 Room of the Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center of Dane County. The hearing begins at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will begin with an overview of the Department of Human Services budget by department staff. Then testimony from the public will be taken.
Persons whose disability or child care responsibilities prevent them from testifying later in the hearings may present their comments immediately following the department overview. Each person presenting at the hearing will be limited to three minutes of testimony.
Individuals who have questions regarding the hearings are encouraged to contact the County Board Office at 266-5758 or Human Services Department at 242-6469.
Additionally, the County Board will hold a public hearing on the budget requests of county departments other than the Department of Human Services on Wednesday, September 11th at 6:00 p.m. in the County Board chambers.
4. If you work in an agency, ask if you can get a letter of support on agency letterhead.
5. Join the facebook page for future updates.
6. Talk to your county board supervisor and let them know that this is important to you and why. Contact info here.
I have watched this thing with Lynn Green, and I have to wonder if she is being vindictive, blaming you for being an advocate for the homeless. You see, an egomaniac would blame you for making her look bad as she climbs on the backs of the vulnerable. It shouldn’t be an either/ or situation. I see this as retaliation.