Stevens Point, Wis: One week after the Bush administration released a budget calling for deep cuts in low-income assistance, a comprehensive new report by WISPIRG�s Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness shows that hunger and homelessness nationwide are increasing far beyond the capacity of the homeless shelters and food pantries to which many turn for help. Funding cuts, such as the $1.8 billion decrease in the Community Development Block Grant proposed last week by the Bush administration, are exacerbating the problem.

"Each year, hundreds of shelters, pantries and soup kitchens are forced to turn away people in need because resources are tight," said Jessica White of WISPIRG�s Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness. "Yet the Bush administration has refused to accept the reality that hunger and homelessness is increasing, and instead has proposed cutting even more funding from programs that help low-income people. It doesn�t add up."

"Communities in Crisis" is based on surveys of 900 emergency food and shelter providers in 426 small towns, suburbs, large cities and rural areas in 32 states. Agencies in each state reported an increase in requests for emergency food or shelter; in Wisconsin 71% agencies reported an increase in food requests and 57% saw an increase in emergency shelter requests.

According to "Communities in Crisis," food requests increased by 21% and shelter requests by 19% in Wisconsin this past year. The experience in the Stevens Point community mirrors these statewide trends. The Salvation Army�s shelter currently has more guests than beds for them to sleep in. It�s truly heartbreaking to see the problem get bigger and bigger and not be able to provide enough food and shelter necessary to help everyone.

Charitable agencies are unable to help everyone who needs it due to inadequate resources. "Communities in Crisis" reports that in Wisconsin, 81% of agencies turned away people in need of emergency shelter and 24% in need of food; more than one half of these agencies attributed this to a lack of resources. This is a nationwide trend: more than three-quarters (77%) of agencies surveyed reported turning away requests for emergency shelter.

Unfortunately, "Communities in Crisis" reports that government funding for social programs is inadequate and declining. More than one-third (36%) of agencies in Wisconsin reported funding cuts from the federal government. Very few (23%) agencies saw funding increases from federal government despite across-the-board increases in need. Here in Stevens Point, the Salvation Army has been able to accommodate the increase in shelter needs for the present, but this is a growing problem and the real solution lies in a stronger commitment to programs that address these needs from our government.

This need for an increase in federal funding is also demonstrated by Operation Bootstrap. While Operation Bootstrap operates almost entirely from the support of businesses, churches, foundations and the generosity of the Stevens Point community, Operation Bootstrap still experiences the effects of federal funding cuts. Roseann DeBot, who heads Operation Bootstrap, said "the community ends up picking up the pieces and then those support programs, such as Section 8, are not available to people."

Findings reported in "Communities in Crisis" indicate that the Bush administration�s fiscal 2006 budget is out of touch with the harsh reality of hunger and homelessness in our communities. The administration�s proposals to cut funding for the Food Stamp Program by $1.1 billion, affordable housing programs by $120 million, and the Community Development Block Grant by $1.8 billion will exacerbate hunger and homelessness. WISPIRG�s Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness calls upon Congress and the administration to take these findings into consideration, halt all plans to cut low income programs, and instead to increase funding for critical homeless assistance, affordable housing, and food programs in order to alleviate the crises of hunger and homelessness in our communities.