Acorn Workers Fear That Cuts Could Imperil Worthy Programs
October 19, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
As chapters of the nonprofit Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or Acorn, face temporary cessation of federal funds in the wake of controversy over the group’s management practices, some Acorn workers tell National Public Radio they worry that good programs for needy clients will suffer if the cuts are made permanent.
“We have a little bit of resources to keep going, but if this can’t get resolved in a decent way, we would have to lay off staff, not be able to serve clients,” says Bruce Dorpalen, who leads Acorn Housing counseling programs nationwide.
Acorn receives grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and got almost $24-million over the past two years for a foreclosure-mitigation counseling effort created by Congress.
