WASHINGTON — With the toughest part of winter ahead, the nation's mayors reported that emergency food requests in major cities have jumped 12% in the last year. Requests for emergency shelter have risen even more.
The 10th annual report on hunger and homelessness by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, released Monday, warned that emergency food centers and homeless shelters in many cities may have to turn away needy people because of insufficient resources.
"We live in fear that some child will freeze to death," Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer told a news conference.
Among the report's recommendations:
* Federal public housing and rental assistance programs should be expanded.
* The minimum wage should be raised. Job training should be expanded and new jobs should be created by the federal government.
* Drug and alcohol abuse programs, as well as mental health services and child-care programs, should be expanded.
