TRAVERSE CITY -- Several local organizations, like the Traverse City Women's Resource Center, received grants from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
With Michigan’s struggling economy, Emergency Shelters are seeing a spike in the number of people seeking assistance.
Since 2007, the Women's Resource Center has experienced a 20% increase in families looking for protection from abusive homes. It is a statistic they say is fueled by the struggling economy.
“I think the increase in demand for housing is linked to the economy. People are trying to leave abusive relationships and have fewer options,” said Jo Bullis, Executive Director of the Women’s Resource Center.
The increase in demand makes it more expensive for emergency shelters to operate.
“The more people we have in our houses…the more electricity we use…We use more staff time... We are buying more groceries,” Bullis said.
It’s a similar story at the Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency, where more than $50,000 was awarded to help fight homelessness in Grand Traverse County.
“Because of what's going on in the economy, we are overwhelmed with people who have never had to seek public services before,” said Kris Brady, Community Service Director at Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency.
Many of the people in search of help worked in manufacturing. Now, with bills stacking up, people are struggling to find their next job.
“We see a lot of folks coming in right now who are unemployed or under-employed. They just need some help until the economy picks back up and they can get re-employed,” Brady said.
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