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 director of OAR, who asked that the county include people with lived experience and community-based organizations in any request-for-proposal process or advisory group for a future shelter operator.

State officials from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) attended to describe resources and requirements. Dana Greenberg, deputy commissioner with OTDA, told the committee the agency wants to be a technical resource: “You shouldn’t feel alone,” she said, describing state staff as available to help counties design applications and partnerships. Sarah Watson, an OTDA assistant director, added that her unit “oversees the Code Blue program,” and Linda Camoin, another OTDA assistant director, described capital and operating grant programs the state administers for shelter and supportive housing.

OTDA representatives and county staff discussed the Homeless Housing Assistance Program (HHAP), a state capital program for emergency, transitional and permanent supportive housing. OTDA staff said HHAP covers construction or rehabilitation but not long‑term operations, so applicants must include an operations plan and funding commitments; the program has previously had per-application caps (about $15 million in the last cycle) and was oversubscribed in the prior round.

State officials highlighted other funding sources and initiatives, including the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative and local applications to create permanent supportive units, and said teams such as SOS/CTI can help engage people who have been resistant to services. County staff and OTDA suggested using Code Blue as a seasonal opportunity to engage participants and move some people into permanent supportive housing where possible.

Tompkins County staff said outreach and coordination are ongoing. Ross Milne of the county’s Whole Health unit described a new outreach-worker contract with REACH that the county and the City of Ithaca are jointly funding: “Both parties are putting in $65,000 to support operations of the outreach worker program in 2025,” he said; committee members asked the Downtown Ithaca Alliance to consider additional support so outreach can cover a broader area than the commons.

Committee members asked OTDA how local legislators can help. OTDA staff recommended supporting continuums of care, providing local data and helping nonprofits and municipalities assemble applications. OTDA staff offered a direct contact for county legislators seeking more information and said the agency would notify applicants when the next HHAP solicitation opens after the state budget is final.

The committee did not adopt a final shelter plan at the meeting; members said they will continue consultant work, pursue state funding and convene community partners, providers and people with lived experience before making construction or operator decisions.

Next steps noted at the meeting included continuing the consultant review of sites and finance, receiving quarterly outcome reporting on outreach and navigation programs, and applying for state HHAP or supportive-housing funding when solicitations open.