Fargo-area shelters report unprecedented demand

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Homeless shelters in the Fargo-Moorhead area report unprecedented demand this summer.

New Life Center Assistant Director Rob Swiers tells The Forum newspaper (http://bit.ly/U4yMCx ) that that shelter turned away 178 men in June and July because of a lack of space. He says numbers have been rising steadily since 2008, and case managers can't keep up.

Officials cite the state's good economy. Fargo-Moorhead Coalition for Homeless Persons Executive Director Laurie Baker says people from across the country are coming to North Dakota looking for jobs. She also says a housing crisis in the western oil patch is forcing some people into shelters in the east.

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Information from: The Forum, http://www.in-forum.com

Tags: north dakota, updates, news, homelessness