By Elsa Maxey

(Editorial opinion included)

There was some concern at last week’s Fort Bend County Commissioner’s Court meeting about funds proposed for a youth ranch for homeless teens that instead went to the Fort Bend Women’s Center.

It was part of a discussion about how money should be spent for programs falling under a Fort Bend County consolidated plan for programs.

In the end, Commissioners Court approved an amended plan presented for the Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships and Emergency Shelter Grant Programs. Under the consolidated plan for the programs, the county gets $2.1 million in CDBG program funds, $556,612 for a HOME Investment Partnership Program and $85,096 for the Emergency Shelter Grant Programs from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

A project to provide shelter for homeless youths by non-profit Parks Youth Ranch Inc., will not receive the $20,000 it requested, part of the county’s $85,096 federal emergency shelter grant. The youth ranch wanted it for operations of a shelter in rural Fairchilds to house homeless or at-risk youths.

In deciding against awarding the youth ranch the funds in a 3-2 vote, County Commissioners Richard Morrison, Grady Prestage and Andy Meyers also voted to reassign the funds to the Fort Bend County Women’s Center, which was also awarded $60,842 of the emergency shelter grant funds. Judge Bob Hebert said he wanted to go record that the court had taken the funds away from needy children. He had also said, “my instinct is to support that,” referring to the request for funds for the operations of the youth ranch, and “I’ll side with the needs of our children.” Commissioner Meyers stated that the money for the women’s center also helps children.

Judge Hebert further stated for the record that he was asked to serve on the youth ranch’s advisory board, and along with Commissioner James Patterson was in favor of it in light of reputable contributors. He said that he didn’t find any reason to support an amendment to the consolidated plan, which removed the youth ranch from funding. He said issues stemmed from property owners telling other property owners what they could do with their property.

During deliberations, Commissioner Richard Morrison, who initiated the amendment objecting to the $20,000 for the youth ranch said, “My reason is that this ranch has very little support from the community.”

The nonprofit youth home, which has not opened, reportedly purchased the eight-acre site in January 2009, after receiving a $500,000 capital challenge grant from the Fred & Mabel R. Parks Foundation and a George Foundation $300,000 capital grant.

Accounts indicate that Fairchilds’ residents say the youth ranch property owners have not been good neighbors since they do not want to contribute to the community’s volunteer fire department in addition having issues about encroaching on another resident’s property, with residents also saying they have safety concerns and say the youth ranch is being forced on them.

It was stated that the county’s consolidated plan for the grant programs is due by mid-July, which can still be changed, said Commissioner Grady, who had also stated “we have the discretion to award it (the funds) to whoever we want to.”

Is another home for children needed to serve Fort Bend? What ever happened to Tom and Christine DeLay’s facility to serve foster children? Can it accommodate this new group? Sources had said that the home established under the DeLay Foundation for Kids in this area is sitting empty.

However, a call this Monday to the Rio Bend Community, which operates in Richmond at 1500 Pultar, confirms that it currently houses 6 foster children and has a capacity to accommodate a total of 48 children.

Duplication of homes for children modeled after successful programs where there are none in existence to serve a community merits consideration; however, establishing another facility when an existing one is not fully utilized may be considered duplication of the worst kind.

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