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Legislature moves local-law for proposed homeless shelter to public hearing after heated public debate
Summary
The Sullivan County Executive Committee voted to move a proposed local law — authorizing a long-term lease of county-owned property for a proposed homeless shelter project — to a public hearing. Speakers at the meeting debated location, funding and safety; county staff said they expect to apply for an $8 million state grant to cover most
Sullivan County legislators voted in executive committee to advance a proposed local law that would authorize a long-term lease of county-owned property for a planned homeless shelter, moving the measure to a public hearing after extended public comment and legislator discussion.
The proposal and the debate: County staff and some legislators explained the plan as a response to an ongoing local housing crisis, noting current use of hotels for emergency shelter is costly and unsustainable. Legislators and residents traded arguments about where to site such a facility, whether the county is already “saturated” with shelters and whether the project would introduce safety or infrastructure risks to nearby county facilities.
Why it matters: County staff said the shelter is designed to provide a transition to permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness and to reduce the recurring expense of hotel stays. Staff reported they plan to apply to New York State’s homeless-housing assistance funding and expect to seek roughly $8 million in construction funding; county share would be limited to site-preparation costs, still under calculation.
Funding, size and operations County staff indicated design work envisions a roughly 20-bed, coed, single-occupancy facility. Josh (county staff) said the county will apply for funding through a state program commonly administered by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) or the Homeless Housing Assistance Program and anticipated a grant application in the state solicitation cycle; construction cost estimate presented for grant submittal was $8,000,000, with a county share for site prep not yet finalized.
Public concerns Several legislators and residents raised questions about siting the project near county infrastructure (including a communications tower and sheriff equipment), local policing impacts, and neighborhood impacts in Liberty and surrounding towns. One legislator said Liberty already hosts a disproportionate share of transitional housing and motels used for shelter; another legislator said the chosen site is on a transportation route and close to services, which staff argued is essential for residents to access supportive programs.
Action taken The committee voted to move the proposed local law to a public hearing so the broader public may comment — the motion carried during the meeting and the clerk noted the local law would be subject to permissive referendum and not be filed with the Secretary of State before the permissive-ref period is set. County staff said the grant solicitation is expected soon and the local work (engineering and site readiness) was completed ahead of the state application to make the county competitive.
Next steps A public hearing will be scheduled so residents and stakeholders can present testimony. County staff said they will finalize county cost estimates for site prep and will pursue the state grant; the project, as described, would be operated by a private or nonprofit operator under a county lease if the grant is awarded.
Ending: Legislators said the goal is to move people to permanent housing; residents and some legislators said they want more detail about operations and local impacts before final approvals.
