Housing, food costs causing more Arkansans to seek help from centers like Way Station

ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank says as the population increases in Northwest Arkansas, available housing goes down causing a food crisis.

“There’s little opportunity for those with low income to rent houses right now,” said Michael Chandler who is staying at the Way Station in Rogers. The Way Station helps provide resources for those struggling with homelessness.

“Some of us only have 10 bucks and like maybe two items would get that amount of food,” said Makayla Morris who is using the Way Station to cook her meals.

Makayla was born in Guatemala. She was adopted when she was one year old and lived in Missouri until she was 11. She’s been homeless for five months. She says the cost of housing and food makes it extremely difficult to get back on her feet.

“I was looking for apartments last month and I have a pet. I could have afforded it, but with the pet deposit it just went sky high. It wasn’t affordable after the rent,” said Morris.

Paul Curtis is the director of Way Station. He says the day center offers a range of different resources. The center helps people get SNAP, clean clothes, and find employment. The center also teaches life skills such as budgeting, self-care, and nutrition.

“I don’t want anybody to leave emptied-handed, emptied stomached,” said Curtis. “One of the things we do for our guests that are staying at Salvation Army, we make sure they have to-go bags. Those who are living in tents, if they need something out of the freezer or canned food, we have a lot of canned food, we try to get them with the opening top.”

However, the center pushes for independence which is why guests must cook their own food and wash their own clothes.

“We use this case management program to get them to be independent and go to that next level and stay there,” said Curtis.

Morris says she feels welcomed every time she steps through the Way Station doors. She says she wishes more people would be as compassionate as those working at the center.

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