A St. Louis County councilwoman had some harsh words this week for advocates of an ordinance to open the county women’s shelter to non-county residents.
From Jason Rosenbaum’s St. Louis Beacon story:
For weeks, advocates for abused women have been speaking out during the council’s public forum about a need for an ordinance in response to reports that the Kathy J. Weinman Center turned away women who were not St. Louis County residents.
The St. Louis region has four shelters for battered women: Weinman, Women’s Safe House and St. Martha’s Hall in St. Louis, and Bridgeway Women’s Center in St. Charles. Together the four have 141 beds.
An ordinance was introduced in early January stating that “any shelter for abused women and their children operated by St. Louis County shall not restrict entry into their shelter based on residency.” It passed the council on Tuesday by a 4-2 margin, with Councilwoman Hazel Erby, D-University City, and Councilwoman Kathleen Burkett, D-Overland, voting against it.
YouTube video made available by Jason Rosenbaum (@jrosenbaum)
