Tompkins County committee hears community calls for broader shelter planning as Code Blue continues

Tompkins County’s Health and Human Services Committee spent the March 19 meeting focused on homelessness planning, county-run Code Blue sheltering and state funding and technical assistance available to build emergency and supportive housing.

The most immediate data came from Dina Badner, deputy commissioner at the county Department of Social Services: “As of March 10, we had a hundred and 4 individuals in hotel sheltered homeless sheltered in hotels,” she told the committee, adding that 86 of those were county clients and that Code Blue sheltering has averaged about 25 to 35 people nightly. Badner said the average length of stay in the county’s shelter system has been about 42 days and that Code Blue will run through April 15 with contingency hotel placements if temperatures drop afterward.

Community advocates urged deeper public engagement and a coordinated plan. “I’m fearful that because DSS is running Code Blue in the shelter, that out of desperation, we might look for a quick solution,” said Dave Sanders, executive…