Social services director reports fewer hotel placements but ongoing barriers to housing for unhoused residents

Mindy Banfield, director at the Chemung County Department of Social Services, told the county meeting that the number of people the county is accommodating in hotels has fallen from the winter peak but remains significant because families and people with medical or other exemptions cannot use the shelter.

"January of '24, at any given night, the county was paying for somewhere between 82 and 95 hotel rooms every night," Banfield said. She said more recent winter figures showed 36 to 40 people staying at the shelter on most nights and roughly 49 to 55 people placed in hotels, reflecting progress but continued need.

Banfield and committee members discussed several barriers the department faces when trying to return people to stable housing. She said a single person on public assistance is expected under OTDA rules to pay roughly $380 per month for housing (including utilities where applicable), an amount she described as insufficient to secure many available units. The department is increasing efforts to help appropriate candidates apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and other benefits that could raise household income.

She described local housing supply issues: Heritage Park has about 50 vacant apartments but a software issue has delayed renting, and Hawthorne Court has about 70 vacant units that require substantial rehabilitation. Banfield said Catholic Charities is expanding supported housing in the coming quarter, which should provide additional capacity for high-need individuals.

The department also reported outreach and prevention work: regular meetings of an advisory committee on homelessness, collaboration with the Samaritan Center and SOS (Safe Options Support) outreach through the community kitchen, and efforts to prevent evictions through city-court interventions. Banfield said the county is doing more assertive casework and coordinating with other agencies to locate housing, link people to services, and, when appropriate, reunite people with family supports elsewhere (providing bus or plane tickets when needed).

Legislators acknowledged the operational strain on shelter staff and the difficulty of balancing outreach with safety; some shelter employees have reported vehicle damage and hostile incidents in the course of their work. Committee members asked about encampment cleanups and whether advance notification leads to better housing outcomes; Banfield said outreach is attempted in advance where possible and some individuals have entered shelter or found housing after cleanups.

Banfield said the county has made progress but that many communities have not solved homelessness; she urged continued multi-agency coordination and support for prevention and rapid rehousing efforts.