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Ulster County DSS director outlines emergency shelter process, points to prevention gains and ongoing capacity gaps
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Summary
Laura Nordstrom, director of housing and homelessness at Ulster County DSS, told the legislature the county operates five shelters, two warming centers and a complex placement process; she highlighted prevention programs (SAFE) that saved an estimated $720,000 annually and a pilot that moved 18 families to permanent housing.
Laura Nordstrom, director of housing and homelessness for Ulster County Department of Social Services, briefed the legislature on Feb. 17 about the county's emergency shelter and prevention system, describing how placements, counts and programs fit together and where gaps remain.
Nordstrom said the temporary placement process is tightly regulated and often difficult for people in survival mode to navigate: applicants are screened by social welfare examiners, may be placed in motels across the county, and can be referred to after‑hours partners such as Family of Woodstock. She said the county operates five shelters (including dedicated single‑adult, family and domestic violence shelters), two warming centers (one in Kingston with roughly 60‑person capacity and a new Ellenville center for about 12–15 people) and conducts biannual inspections of motels as required by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
On data and coordination, Nordstrom described the HUD Continuum of Care's point‑in‑time count, the Housing Inventory Count (HIC) for HUD‑funded beds, and the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) used to track clients and coordinate placements and case planning. She said the January street count had been completed and that numeric results would be released soon.
Nordstrom outlined market drivers that increased shelter demand: corporate investment and rising rents beginning around 2018, pandemic migration and the end of eviction moratoria in 2022–23. She noted long lengths of stay in motels for some households, inadequate shelter benefits (the basic shelter allowance cited at $446), and the particular vulnerability of families, seniors on fixed incomes and people with complex behavioral‑health needs.
Nordstrom also described prevention and program successes: the SAFE (Shelters of Anticipated or Fractured Evictions) prevention program and rental supplement efforts that she estimated save about $720,000 annually by keeping 20 households housed; and a Family‑Centered Case Management Services pilot that moved 18 families and 14 seniors into permanent housing last year. She urged legislators to contact her office for the full data packet provided to the legislature and thanked county staff for their work.
Next steps: Nordstrom’s briefing and the DSS materials will be available through the clerk; legislators were encouraged to follow up with department staff for detailed data and program metrics.
