JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, sent a letter to the governor on Monday to request state assistance to address the displacement of Missourians caused by the closing of the New Life Evangelistic Center for the Homeless in St. Louis.
“Each night, upwards of 200 Missourians depended on the New Life Evangelic Center for a safe place to sleep and for food,” the Senator wrote in her letter to the governor.
The New Life Evangelistic Center is a nonprofit church center that serves Missouri, nearby states and communities around the world. The center provides more than 150,000 meals and more than 65,000 overnight emergency requests annually.
In her call-to-action letter to the governor, Sen. Nasheed asked that he employ the Emergency Management Agency to provide emergency food and shelter to those affected by the center’s closing. In addition, the Senator stressed the importance of tax credits for low-income housing for the homeless.
“These tax credits are essential in encouraging developers to build and maintain housing for individuals who wouldn’t be able to afford housing otherwise,” asserted Sen. Nasheed. “Tax credits assist in alleviating the burden on homeless shelters and allow families to remain intact, be self-sufficient and provide a safe place.”
Last month, St. Louis’ Affordable Housing Commission approved funds to operate two temporary shelters. Each shelter will accommodate a maximum of 75 people — less than the maximum of the now-closed New Life Evangelistic Center.
See the letter below.