County hears proposals to address homelessness in area

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Fort Bend county commissioners heard last week from a coalition of nonprofit agencies that serve youth and the homeless about the need for a more concerted effort to address a growing problems of homelessness. They asked the court to devote up to $13 million from unused federal American Recovery Act funds for a multi-year, multi-phased program.

Similarly, a representative of the Fort Bend chapter of the American Federation of Teachers asked the commissioners for $221,460 as "seed money" for a pilot project meant to address the growing shortage of teachers by offering alternative teaching certificates to people, especially in a few critical subject areas, who would agree to teach in Fort Bend ISD schools for two years.

While the commissioners were largely receptive to the merits of the pro - posals, some were leery of diverting ARA funds from already committed infrastructure projects, the expansion of broadband Internet access across the county, or from addressing the county's employee and retiree healthcare obligations.

Shannon Stavinhola, executive director of the Parks Youth Ranch, a camp for abused and neglected children, served as the spokesperson for the