Latest news with #JessicaThompson
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Grace Shelter capacity cut as camping ban approaches
May 1—MORGANTOWN — Jessica Thompson, shelter director for Catholic Charities' Grace Shelter in Hazel's House of Hope, has confirmed that the shelter's capacity has recently been reduced from 28 beds to 19 beds. The issue comes down to fire code. "During our evaluation and the measurement of the facility, fire marshals determined that the shelter was operating over capacity, " Morgantown Communications Director Brade Riffee said. "It's important to note that our fire marshals are working closely with the shelter administration to evaluate alternative solutions and options that might be available." It's believed that one of the alternatives under consideration is full-time use of the first floor space that originally served as the Hope Hill Sobering Center, but more recently served as the temporary winter warming shelter—also operated by Catholic Charities. The city didn't address how the shelter was permitted to operate at a 28-bed capacity since Bartlett House first opened it in 2021. In addition to the loss of nine beds at Grace Shelter, Project Rainbow Coordinator Erin Shelton said The Rainbow House has also had to reduce capacity in order to meet best practices surrounding space per client. That shelter, which prioritizes individuals in the LGBTQ + community, now has 22 beds. Both shelters are full—just as they were prior to the reductions. "We are full on a nightly basis and we currently have over 20 people on our waiting list, " Shelton said. "As soon as we move someone into housing, we typically have someone from the waitlist move in on the same day or the following day. We haven't had any significant length of time where we weren't at full capacity since our first month of operations, which was July 2024." While there's never a good time to lose community resources, this seems to be a particularly brutal twist of timing. The citywide camping ban—passed in September but barred from taking effect due to a successful repeal petition—will be implemented after receiving the support of a small majority of the city's voters participating in Tuesday's municipal election. According to the city, the ordinance will take effect 30 days after the election results are certified. Election canvassing is Monday, meaning the law could be enforced starting June 4. The ban defines camp /camping to mean "pitch, erect or occupy camp facilities (tents, temporary structures, etc.) or to use camp paraphernalia (blankets, sleeping bags, tarps, etc.) or both for the purposes of habitation, as evidenced by the use of camp paraphernalia, " and bans it on all public property. Penalties include a warning on first offense ; a fine of up to $200 for a second offense, and a fine of up to $500 and /or up to 30 days in jail for a third offense within one year. Someone subject to a fine or jail under the law can receive alternative sentencing by agreeing to case management to return to stable housing, and /or treatment for substance abuse and /or mental health. The question going forward is how, and how often, the law will actually be enforced, given the perpetually overwhelmed status of the local shelters. According to the law, no citation will be issued or penalty imposed unless the person in violation has been offered "alternative shelter " and refused the offer. An offer of shelter means an alternate location, which may include "emergency shelter or any alternate indoor or outdoor location where the person may sleep overnight." While pinning down the exact number of unhoused individuals in and around Morgantown at any one time is difficult, it's believed to be north of 100. Milan Puskar Health Right Executive Director Laura Jones estimated 130 in August. Health Right was among the organizations that believed the lack of available beds should have made the camping ban a nonstarter. Project Rainbow was another. "Project Rainbow is deeply disappointed by the passage of Morgantown's camping ban, especially considering the dire situation I'm describing here with limited availability of shelter beds, " Shelton said. "This ordinance criminalizes the mere act of survival for people who have nowhere else to go."
Dominion Post
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Dominion Post
Grace Shelter capacity cut as camping ban approaches
MORGANTOWN — Jessica Thompson, shelter director for Catholic Charities' Grace Shelter in Hazel's House of Hope, has confirmed that the shelter's capacity has recently been reduced from 28 beds to 19 beds. The issue comes down to fire code. 'During our evaluation and the measurement of the facility, fire marshals determined that the shelter was operating over capacity,' Morgantown Communications Director Brade Riffee said. 'It's important to note that our fire marshals are working closely with the shelter administration to evaluate alternative solutions and options that might be available.' It's believed that one of the alternatives under consideration is full-time use of the first floor space that originally served as the Hope Hill Sobering Center, but more recently served as the temporary winter warming shelter — also operated by Catholic Charities. The city didn't address how the shelter was permitted to operate at a 28-bed capacity since Bartlett House first opened it in 2021. In addition to the loss of nine beds at Grace Shelter, Project Rainbow Coordinator Erin Shelton said The Rainbow House has also had to reduce capacity in order to meet best practices surrounding space per client. That shelter, which prioritizes individuals in the LGBTQ+ community, now has 22 beds. Both shelters are full — just as they were prior to the reductions. 'We are full on a nightly basis and we currently have over 20 people on our waiting list,' Shelton said. 'As soon as we move someone into housing, we typically have someone from the waitlist move in on the same day or the following day. We haven't had any significant length of time where we weren't at full capacity since our first month of operations, which was July 2024.' While there's never a good time to lose community resources, this seems to be a particularly brutal twist of timing. The citywide camping ban — passed in September but barred from taking effect due to a successful repeal petition — will be implemented after receiving the support of a small majority of the city's voters participating in Tuesday's municipal election. According to the city, the ordinance will take effect 30 days after the election results are certified. Election canvassing is Monday, meaning the law could be enforced starting June 4. The ban defines camp/camping to mean 'pitch, erect or occupy camp facilities (tents, temporary structures, etc.) or to use camp paraphernalia (blankets, sleeping bags, tarps, etc.) or both for the purposes of habitation, as evidenced by the use of camp paraphernalia,' and bans it on all public property. Penalties include a warning on first offense; a fine of up to $200 for a second offense, and a fine of up to $500 and/or up to 30 days in jail for a third offense within one year. Someone subject to a fine or jail under the law can receive alternative sentencing by agreeing to case management to return to stable housing, and/or treatment for substance abuse and/or mental health. The question going forward is how, and how often, the law will actually be enforced, given the perpetually overwhelmed status of the local shelters. According to the law, no citation will be issued or penalty imposed unless the person in violation has been offered 'alternative shelter' and refused the offer. An offer of shelter means an alternate location, which may include 'emergency shelter or any alternate indoor or outdoor location where the person may sleep overnight.' While pinning down the exact number of unhoused individuals in and around Morgantown at any one time is difficult, it's believed to be north of 100. Milan Puskar Health Right Executive Director Laura Jones estimated 130 in August. Health Right was among the organizations that believed the lack of available beds should have made the camping ban a nonstarter. Project Rainbow was another. 'Project Rainbow is deeply disappointed by the passage of Morgantown's camping ban, especially considering the dire situation I'm describing here with limited availability of shelter beds,' Shelton said. 'This ordinance criminalizes the mere act of survival for people who have nowhere else to go.'
The Independent
09-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Threat of taxes on scholarships and changes to student loans under Trump plans
Republican lawmakers are exploring controversial proposals targeting higher education to offset the cost of extending Trump-era tax cuts. These include potentially taxing college scholarships, eliminating student loan repayment plans, and significantly increasing taxes on university endowments. The proposals, currently circulating within House committees, are part of a broader effort to identify spending cuts and revenue streams. While still in the early stages, and with no guarantee of implementation, the mere consideration of such measures has sparked widespread concern among higher education advocates. They argue that these changes could dramatically reshape the landscape of college affordability and accessibility. 'It's shocking to me because this amount of cuts is not happening in reaction to like a budget crisis, like a recession. This really feels different in the sense that it is not something that there is an external push or a need for. So, it feels more ideological in a way,' said Jessica Thompson, a higher education policy expert with The Institute for College Access and Success. Here is a look at possible federal budget cuts that would affect higher education under the Trump administration: Cutting programs that help students pay off college debt The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce has suggested several possible ways to overhaul student loan programs. Some would reduce student access to federal aid for college. On the chopping block potentially are several plans students can opt into to repay their students loans, including the SAVE plan introduced by the Biden administration. That plan doesn't require borrowers to make payments if they earn less than 225% of the federal poverty line — $32,800 a year for a single person — and prevents interest from adding to balances as long as borrowers make their monthly payments. The SAVE plan was already put on hold after Republicans challenged it. Some plans do not appear to be targeted, including one that caps loan payments based on borrowers' income level. Another possible change would give borrowers additional opportunities to recover from defaults. While they currently can rehabilitate their loans just once, allowing them to make a certain number of consecutive payments to get out of default, the proposal would allow them to go through that process twice. The committee projected the new process could save the government millions of dollars but did not spell out how. The timing is uncertain on when any of these proposals could surface. They could be considered as soon as this spring in a process known as budget reconciliation that would allow Republicans to squeeze proposals through Congress purely on party-line votes. That would not be easy in the House, where Republicans hold the majority by just a few seats. An end to tax-free status for scholarships Scholarships and fellowships have been exempt from taxes as long as they are used for tuition and related expenses. That would change under another proposal that's up for consideration. The changes could create new financial burdens for students and families, advocates say. 'There's been great progress in bringing down the costs of higher education. Adjusted for inflation, public university tuition is less now than it was ten years ago,' said Craig Lindwarm, senior vice president of governmental affairs with the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. 'But as we look at some of the proposals that are options, many would increase costs on students and families, and I think (the proposals) are heading in the direction that most don't want to see, which is increasing expenses on students and families.' The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act currently requires some private nonprofit colleges and universities to pay a 1.4% tax on income from their endowments, which raised about $244 million from 58 institutions in 2022. The committee suggests increasing that to a 14% tax and expanding which colleges would have to pay it. Also being considered among hundreds of other ideas in circulation are fines for colleges and universities that violate students' rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which protects against discrimination toward students of shared ancestry. Such investigations often have been resolved through settlements calling for training and policy updates. Title VI is currently what is being used to investigate complaints of antisemitism on college campuses across the U.S.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House Republicans mull taxes on scholarships and changes to student loan programs
As Republicans in Congress look for ways to slash spending, some legislators are floating new taxes on college scholarships, an end to student loan repayment plans and a big hike in taxes on university endowments. The ideas affecting higher education are among many in circulation among House committees that are exploring ways to cover the cost of extending and expanding tax cuts passed in President Donald Trump's first term. The recommendations are still evolving, and it's unclear how close any of them will get to being implemented. Regardless, advocates across higher education say they are alarmed to see such proposals gain traction at all with Republicans. 'It's shocking to me because this amount of cuts is not happening in reaction to like a budget crisis, like a recession. This really feels different in the sense that it is not something that there is an external push or a need for. So, it feels more ideological in a way,' said Jessica Thompson, a higher education policy expert with The Institute for College Access and Success. Here is a look at possible federal budget cuts that would affect higher education under the Trump administration: Cutting programs that help students pay off college debt The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce has suggested several possible ways to overhaul student loan programs. Some would reduce student access to federal aid for college. On the chopping block potentially are several plans students can opt into to repay their students loans, including the SAVE plan introduced by the Biden administration. That plan doesn't require borrowers to make payments if they earn less than 225% of the federal poverty line — $32,800 a year for a single person — and prevents interest from adding to balances as long as borrowers make their monthly payments. The SAVE plan was already put on hold after Republicans challenged it. Some plans do not appear to be targeted, including one that caps loan payments based on borrowers' income level. Another possible change would give borrowers additional opportunities to recover from defaults. While they currently can rehabilitate their loans just once, allowing them to make a certain number of consecutive payments to get out of default, the proposal would allow them to go through that process twice. The committee projected the new process could save the government millions of dollars but did not spell out how. The timing is uncertain on when any of these proposals could surface. They could be considered as soon as this spring in a process known as budget reconciliation that would allow Republicans to squeeze proposals through Congress purely on party-line votes. That would not be easy in the House, where Republicans hold the majority by just a few seats. An end to tax-free status for scholarships Scholarships and fellowships have been exempt from taxes as long as they are used for tuition and related expenses. That would change under another proposal that's up for consideration. The changes could create new financial burdens for students and families, advocates say. 'There's been great progress in bringing down the costs of higher education. Adjusted for inflation, public university tuition is less now than it was ten years ago," said Craig Lindwarm, senior vice president of governmental affairs with the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. "But as we look at some of the proposals that are options, many would increase costs on students and families, and I think (the proposals) are heading in the direction that most don't want to see, which is increasing expenses on students and families.' Increasing taxes on college endowments The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act currently requires some private nonprofit colleges and universities to pay a 1.4% tax on income from their endowments, which raised about $244 million from 58 institutions in 2022. The committee suggests increasing that to a 14% tax and expanding which colleges would have to pay it. Also being considered among hundreds of other ideas in circulation are fines for colleges and universities that violate students' rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which protects against discrimination toward students of shared ancestry. Such investigations often have been resolved through settlements calling for training and policy updates. Title VI is currently what is being used to investigate complaints of antisemitism on college campuses across the U.S. ___ Mumphrey reported from Phoenix. AP education writer Collin Binkley in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at Cheyanne Mumphrey, The Associated Press
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House Republicans mull taxes on scholarships and changes to student loan programs
As Republicans in Congress look for ways to slash spending, some legislators are floating new taxes on college scholarships, an end to student loan repayment plans and a big hike in taxes on university endowments. The ideas affecting higher education are among many in circulation among House committees that are exploring ways to cover the cost of extending and expanding tax cuts passed in President Donald Trump's first term. The recommendations are still evolving, and it's unclear how close any of them will get to being implemented. Regardless, advocates across higher education say they are alarmed to see such proposals gain traction at all with Republicans. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. 'It's shocking to me because this amount of cuts is not happening in reaction to like a budget crisis, like a recession. This really feels different in the sense that it is not something that there is an external push or a need for. So, it feels more ideological in a way,' said Jessica Thompson, a higher education policy expert with The Institute for College Access and Success. Here is a look at possible federal budget cuts that would affect higher education under the Trump administration: Cutting programs that help students pay off college debt The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce has suggested several possible ways to overhaul student loan programs. Some would reduce student access to federal aid for college. On the chopping block potentially are several plans students can opt into to repay their students loans, including the SAVE plan introduced by the Biden administration. That plan doesn't require borrowers to make payments if they earn less than 225% of the federal poverty line — $32,800 a year for a single person — and prevents interest from adding to balances as long as borrowers make their monthly payments. The SAVE plan was already put on hold after Republicans challenged it. Some plans do not appear to be targeted, including one that caps loan payments based on borrowers' income level. Another possible change would give borrowers additional opportunities to recover from defaults. While they currently can rehabilitate their loans just once, allowing them to make a certain number of consecutive payments to get out of default, the proposal would allow them to go through that process twice. The committee projected the new process could save the government millions of dollars but did not spell out how. The timing is uncertain on when any of these proposals could surface. They could be considered as soon as this spring in a process known as budget reconciliation that would allow Republicans to squeeze proposals through Congress purely on party-line votes. That would not be easy in the House, where Republicans hold the majority by just a few seats. An end to tax-free status for scholarships Scholarships and fellowships have been exempt from taxes as long as they are used for tuition and related expenses. That would change under another proposal that's up for consideration. The changes could create new financial burdens for students and families, advocates say. 'There's been great progress in bringing down the costs of higher education. Adjusted for inflation, public university tuition is less now than it was ten years ago," said Craig Lindwarm, senior vice president of governmental affairs with the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. "But as we look at some of the proposals that are options, many would increase costs on students and families, and I think (the proposals) are heading in the direction that most don't want to see, which is increasing expenses on students and families.' Increasing taxes on college endowments The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act currently requires some private nonprofit colleges and universities to pay a 1.4% tax on income from their endowments, which raised about $244 million from 58 institutions in 2022. The committee suggests increasing that to a 14% tax and expanding which colleges would have to pay it. Also being considered among hundreds of other ideas in circulation are fines for colleges and universities that violate students' rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which protects against discrimination toward students of shared ancestry. Such investigations often have been resolved through settlements calling for training and policy updates. Title VI is currently what is being used to investigate complaints of antisemitism on college campuses across the U.S. ___ Mumphrey reported from Phoenix. AP education writer Collin Binkley in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
