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Residents press council on street feeding, shelters and Hope on a Mission operations
Summary
At the Jan. 21 meeting residents urged enforcement of laws governing street gatherings and criticized some outreach groups. Speakers called for alternatives to street-based feeding and raised safety and resource concerns; the mayor and council described ongoing coordination with service providers and cold-weather sheltering.
Multiple residents used the Jan. 21 public-participation period to urge the city to enforce laws governing street gatherings and to press for alternatives to on-street feeding and service distribution.
Nancy Fedorashanko told the council she “demands that Hope on a Mission be banned from the streets of the city of Poughkeepsie,” saying street-based operations draw people downtown and raise safety concerns; she also said, based on internet research, that Hope on a Mission had roughly $60,000 in receipts and a storefront. Fedorashanko framed her remarks as a citizen volunteer perspective and called on the city to enforce laws equally.
Kane Bowers (identified in the record as a resident and community participant) urged more inclusive treatment of residents returning from incarceration and criticized what he called dehumanizing rhetoric toward people experiencing homelessness. He said restrictions tied to the Clean Slate Act for hawking or vending licenses were “too restrictive” and that vending can help residents re-enter the workforce. Bowers also asked the council to support statewide measures he said could address housing affordability.
Mayor Yvonne Flowers responded during mayoral comments that the administration and council have been coordinating with service providers and stakeholders who offer street-based services. She said cold-weather sheltering (Code Blue) is coordinated through Christ Church in Poughkeepsie and that the city’s police and fire departments have helped connect people on the street to the stabilization center and the Code Blue site. Flowers said the city is working with organizations that feed people to identify locations off Main Street and to ensure compliance with shelter or pod rules where applicable.
Speakers also urged broader policy steps, including expanding a partial tax exemption for senior homeowners, compiling public lists of landlords with multiple violations, replacing lead water pipes, and improving sidewalks and public spaces. Several callers emphasized a humane, long-term approach to homelessness rather than repeated displacement.
The council did not adopt any new policy or ordinance during public comment; the transcript records mayoral and council assurances of ongoing coordination with service providers and planned outreach and licensing informational sessions from the chamberlain’s office.
