Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Homelessness topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Councilors report slight uptick in homelessness, call for more services and caution on state tax cuts
Summary
Several councilors reported preliminary point-in-time data suggesting a small rise in homelessness and urged more services and care in responding to proposed state tax reductions that could reduce local funding for services.
Councilors at the Feb. 4 Casper City Council meeting reported preliminary findings from local homeless-coalition discussions and urged continued coordination to expand services amid limited per-capita funding from federal sources.
Councilor Bond said the coalition’s early data “preliminarily ... seemed to indicate that there was a slight uptick in the number of homeless individuals homeless or unstably housed individuals in Casper.” Bond described strong local collaboration among service providers and participation by downtown-business representatives.
Councilor Gamroth urged caution about funding shortfalls and noted a vote taken by coalition members to create a new continuum of care to access additional resources. Gamroth said, “Wyoming currently receives $369 per person for homeless services for the year,” and contrasted that with higher per-capita funding in other states and territories, noting the gap limits what local providers can deliver.
Several councilors flagged state-level tax proposals under consideration in the legislature and warned of downstream effects. Councilor Sweeney and others noted a senate file that would cut property-tax obligations by 50 percent without backfill; Sweeney said that while such a reduction may appeal to homeowners, “in the long run, what services will have to be cut because of the lack of revenue” is a concern for cities and special districts.
Why it matters
Councilors framed the issue as a balance between seeking additional funding and avoiding policies or practices that could unintentionally concentrate demand for services in Casper. They said higher per-capita funding would be needed to support case management, transitional housing and workforce readiness services.
Next steps
Councilors said Community Action Partnership and coalition partners will refine the point-in-time data and report demographics and service needs at a future meeting; the council did not take a formal vote on municipal policy during the Feb. 4 meeting.
