Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.
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For 40 years, a little-known program in St. Louis Park has labored to deliver services and housing for low-income mothers and their children who have suffered trauma.
That trauma can come in many forms, including addiction, homelessness, joblessness and domestic violence.
The program, called Perspectives, combines housing with the support and services so needed for these mothers to break the cycle of trauma for themselves and their children and get a fresh start. That includes child care, addiction recovery, mental health support — all within five apartment buildings that house some 50 families.
It is a laudable program that has won a number of awards across the decades.
Regrettably, Perspectives appears to be on the verge of financial collapse, according to a Star Tribune news story. Earlier this month it abruptly ended its children's programming and clinical services, but is promising residents they will not be evicted.
So why would a program that is successful by most measures be wracked with $3 million in debt, an amount equal to its annual budget?