No state funding for Fargo homeless center
State funding to help underwrite what Mayor Tim Mahoney calls a deflection center for the homeless got shot down following a heated state Senate budget debate. The funding request came up during consideration of a conference committee report on the nearly half a billion dollar budget for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, a discussion Inforum says that was dominated by the issue.
Opposition to funding the deflection center was strong on Tuesday.
Sen. Jose Castaneda, R-Minor, called it “completely unnecessary.” He suggested the Senate delay approving the DOCR budget and the deflection center to allow further discussion.
“Every dollar we give these people that need the help is a dollar we no longer have,” Castaneda said. “I’d rather spend a dollar when we know it’s going to make a difference because we’re pinpointing it to a rat rather than just carpet-bombing the state with money.”
The city’s funding request for the proposed homeless deflection center had already been reduced since being introduced. But it wasn’t enough to salvage support for the concept behind the project.
The news that the facility could be located in the former Fargo Brewing building at 610 N. University Drive came as two Fargo lawmakers introduced the funding to the budget in early April. Originally, the ask was for $5 million, but that dropped to $3 million before being removed from the budget altogether.
Deflection is the practice whereby law enforcement officers seek to address a problem, such as someone dealing with an addiction or mental health episode, through means other than arrest. This frees up police officers and other first responders, connects the person in crisis with appropriate assistance and avoids additional traffic at the overcrowded jail or hospitals.
Even legislators representing the Fargo area were divided over the merits of state taxpayer funds for the proposed center.
Some representatives, including Sen. Judy Lee, R-West Fargo, spoke on behalf of Fargo and the surrounding metro, which has been grappling with the rise in homelessness amid overcrowded shelters, depleted food pantries and overwhelmed social services.
It’s incumbent on the state to step up and help, she said.
…Providing help to people experiencing homelessness will attract new people in need to the community, [Fargo Republican Sen. Michelle] Powers said.
“I have never in my life lit $3.1 million on fire, and that’s what this state would be doing,” Powers said. “Words matter. You call it diversion, deflection — it’s a homeless shelter.”
There was also pushback against the conference committee decision to undertake a study of the problem before potentially moving forward with financing for a deflection facility down the road.
The conference committee added a study to be completed by Legislative Management that will examine the merits of a deflection center, despite some lawmakers voicing doubt that a study would be worthwhile.
“What are we going to study? There’s homeless issues everywhere, and they’re only getting worse,” Rep. Gregory Stemen, R-Fargo, said.
For now, it appears Fargo remains on its own in grappling with a homeless population certain to be more visible as warmer weather arrives.