Housing fund is shut down in Duluth
By JULIA DAVIS
DCN Reporter
On a cold day, one of the first snowfalls of the year, a woman is standing in the lobby of a homeless shelter in Duluth. She is comparing winter hats, until she sees one with a big, poofy ball on top and her face lights up in a smile, something that is a little rare in a place where everyone is worried about the same thing; Wednesday’s front page news.
The Duluth News Tribune’s bold headline Wednesday morning announced that the city council has decided to cut off funding to the low income housing projects that were aimed at decreasing the number of homeless in Duluth. Currently 16 percent of Duluth is homeless. That number is high compared to the statewide average which is eight percent.
“This problem should be a top priority for the city government,� said Jen Randa, an employee at a homeless shelter in Duluth.
With only four homeless shelters in Duluth, people are being turned away constantly.
“I had a pregnant couple come in today, we couldn’t find them a room because they refused to split up, but the boy was only 17 so he wouldn’t be accepted into most of the shelters,� said Randa. “I’m not sure what they did last night.�
These stories are all too common, and with winter closing in upon us, the situation is becoming very critical.
“People get caught by the cops for living in tents around the city. What are they gonna do when it gets cold?� asks Randa.
The housing situation in Duluth has been getting worse in recent years, as it declines. Randa says she sees more and more families sleeping in cars and people squatting in bushes.
“Even middle class people are having a hard time with housing,� said Randa.
With housing on the decline and bitter cold weather headed our way, people worry about losing their homes and not being able to pay the rent.
“I could be homeless any day, anybody could become homeless,� said Todd Janke, Duluth resident.
While citizens of Duluth feel that housing should be dealt with more effectively, the city government feels that money could be better spent elsewhere. In Wednesday’s article in the News Tribune, City Council member Russ Stewart said ‘The city can no longer be all things to all people. This council has talked time and again about prioritizing city services and making the tough choices about what we’re not going to do anymore.�