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Scott Vetoes $1.2M For Housing Jacksonville's Homeless Women, Children

News4Jax

Florida Governor Rick Scott vetoed $1.2 million that would have gone to Jacksonville's Sulzbacher Center.

Center President and CEO Cindy Funkhouser says the funds would have been used to create permanent homes for homeless women and children.

“This has been extremely disappointing, but you know, we’ve certainly had disappointments before and we will persevere and we will building this permanent housing for women and children, with or without the help of Florida,” said Funkhouser.

Funkhouser says the Sulzbacher Center is the largest homeless provider in Northeast Florida. It offers shelter, health care and meals to the Jacksonville community.

“And so that the children, we don't have this cycle this continual cycle of poverty. So that's why it's so critical for the intervention that we provide here at the sulzbacher center,” said Funkhouser.

Funkhouser says, although the center won't have the funding from the state, it’s hoping to receive private funding to continue its housing project.  

She adds, the center placed more than 300 people in permanent jobs last year.

Taylor Johnson has been practicing on-air journalism since the fifth grade, bringing over 10 years of experience to WJCT as a Summer Intern. Growing up in Lakeland, Florida, she followed her passion for production to the University of North Florida where she is currently double majoring in production and journalism. Taylor will graduate with her bachelor's degrees in December.