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Homelessness committee reports outreach gains, 24-hour shelter operation and plans for shelter supplement
Summary
County staff reported progress on outreach, 24-hour shelter operations and plans to apply for a shelter supplement; legislators praised efforts and asked staff to coordinate with local volunteer groups to avoid enabling encampments.
Chemung County staff told legislators the county’s homelessness-response committee has expanded outreach, opened a 24-hour shelter operation near Thanksgiving and is pursuing a shelter supplement plan to help residents secure temporary housing.
Mindy, a county social-services staff member who updated the legislature, said the committee has increased outreach and coordination with local organizations, reduced the number of people in hotels and shelters, and posted more public information about how to access services. She said the shelter moved to being open 24 hours a day "right around Thanksgiving," allowing case workers to meet residents and reducing pressure on other service providers.
Mindy described steps to reach people living outdoors and in encampments, including partnering with local outreach groups and using teams to offer food, information and service referrals. She said staff are following up on barriers such as pets and sanctions and that, in many cases, sanctions previously thought to block services were not in effect after staff checked individual records.
The committee is preparing a shelter supplement plan, a program the county has not filed for before; Mindy said the plan could be submitted in the next couple of months and would temporarily help households that cannot meet income thresholds for housing while the county works on longer-term solutions.
Lawmakers praised the work but some expressed concern that private volunteer groups handing out food and water to people encamped outdoors may unintentionally "enable" homelessness by reducing incentives to accept shelter, a legislator said. Legislators asked staff to invite those private groups to coordinate with the county’s outreach strategy so volunteers and official partners work toward consistent long-term housing goals.
Mindy said the committee has been working without additional staff and credited interagency cooperation for recent progress. She said the next quarter should see additional placements into permanent housing as new housing opportunities become available.
Ending: Legislators thanked staff and asked that committee updates and action items be distributed to the full legislature. Staff said they will continue outreach, finalize the shelter supplement application and coordinate volunteer groups with committee efforts.
