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Committee approves $1.8 million amendment as county shelter costs surge; DSS reports motel placements and reimbursement plan
Summary
Ulster County approved resolution 4-18, a $1.8M contract amendment for emergency shelter placements with Family of Woodstock. County staff described a sharp rise in emergency-shelter costs (comptroller snapshot: $3.8M in 2020 to $13.3M in 2024) and reported current motel usage of 20 motels, 362 rooms and roughly 550 individuals.
The Legislature's Housing & Transportation Committee approved resolution 4-18 on Aug. 6, authorizing a $1.8 million amendment to the county contract with Family of Woodstock to cover after-hours and emergency motel placements. Commissioner Ioppose and DSS staff presented numbers showing a steep increase in emergency shelter costs in recent years. Citing the county comptroller, staff said emergency shelter costs rose from $3,800,000 in 2020 to $13,300,000 in 2024 and projected further increases into 2026 and 2027.
DSS reported a current operational snapshot: "The Ulster County Department of Social Services and Family of Woodstock, we're utilizing 20 motels. We have 362 rooms that we have reserved at those 20 motels, And those 20 motels are accommodating approximately 550 unique individuals. And that basically has arrived at from a caseload of roughly, 393 cases right now," Commissioner Ioppose said. Staff and Family of Woodstock representatives explained the driver of the increase: higher motel room rates, expanded motel usage, multiple-room needs for families, seasonal spikes in pricing, and retroactive invoice processing that affects the county's cash flow.
Reimbursement expectations: DSS said some costs will be offset by program reimbursements. Commissioner Ioppose and staff explained that CodeBlue reimbursements can be substantial (staff said CodeBlue could cover 100% for some activations) and other programs such as Safety Net can reimburse at lower percentages, reducing the county share over time. Committee members asked for details about per-person costs and seasonal pacing; staff said they are projecting conservatively and will seek further details at Ways and Means.
Next steps: The committee adopted resolution 4-18 by voice vote. Staff said that invoices will be processed for reimbursement where eligible and that the department is continuing to pursue longer-term permanent supportive housing to reduce motel dependence.
