CV NEWS FEED // Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s recent veto of $1 million earmarked for Catholic Charities of Acadiana’s emergency homeless shelter services is “a significant setback to our pro-life efforts,” the Catholic nonprofit’s CEO said in a recent statement.
“Our shelter serves as a critical lifeline for 87 individuals each night who have nowhere else to turn,” said Catholic Charities of Acadiana CEO Kim Boudreaux in a statement, according to local news outlet ABC’s KATC 3.
“We face an uncertain future for those who seek shelter with us as a last resort,” Boudreaux added.
CatholicVote previously reported that Landry justified the veto by arguing that part of Catholic Charities of Acadania’s “mission is to support the influx of illegal aliens into our country.”
Landry further stated that taxpayers should not have to pay for the endeavors of “nonprofits who are contributing to the illegal immigration crisis our nation is facing.”
Boudreaux lamented Landry’s veto, describing it as “a significant setback to our pro-life efforts to care for our vulnerable neighbors experiencing homelessness.”
The nonprofit provided shelter for 410 individuals last year, according to a statement to KATC 3 from local Catholic Charities’ Chief of External Affairs Ben Broussard, who noted that the nonprofit is the largest shelter provider in the region.
In 2022, 351 people were experiencing homelessness in the Acadiana-Lafayette region, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The rates of homelessness in the region spiked after 2020. According to a 2023 article in the Current LA, Lafayette shelters closed during the 2020 pandemic, with some closing permanently.
Broussard’s statement also highlighted that last year, Catholic Charities helped 135 persons from its shelters return to permanent housing, and prevented 60 households from experiencing homelessness by reconnecting them with support systems.
The veto “will have a crippling impact” on Catholic Charities of Acadiana’s ability to sustain its emergency homeless shelter services in the upcoming fiscal year, Broussard’s statement added.
