From the Deseret News:

A 40 percent budget cut in General Assistance Program funds approved by Utah lawmakers will eliminate state assistance checks for hundred of Utahns with disabilities by August 1.

“In just over a week, up to 800 people who are unable to work will begin losing the only income they have,” said Tim Funk, an advocate for the homeless and disabled people at Crossroads Urban Center. “The cuts by [the state Department of Workforce Services] go too far and impact people too severely.”

…  “the situation has been allowed to become an emergency that could well mean that on Aug. 1, housing options for even those who have severe medical conditions will be the shelters or the streets,” said Bill Tibbitts, a government policy and program analyst with Crossroads.

Advocates have responded by sending a letter, signed by nine nonprofit and faith-based homeless advocacy groups, asking the governor to step in.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 23rd, 2009 at 2:33 pm and is filed under budget, community services. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.