Homelessness on the rise
NORWICH - The number of individuals and families presenting themselves as homeless is on the rise in Chenango County, and social services agencies are running out of places to harbor them.
Between 8 to 10 individuals, many with a number of children, have regulary sought shelter from caseworkers at the County Office Building on a monthly basis, Department of Social Services Commissioner Bette Osborne told lawmakers this fall. She described the homeless situation as “unusual” over the course of her nearly five-year tenure with DSS.
“We’ve run out of places to put them,” she said during a meeting of the Health and Human Services Committee in October.
There are no shelters in Chenango County, and – like most rural counties – the resources for building one appear non-existent. “This is happening throughout the state, but smaller counties like ours are not prepared to handle it,” Osborne said.
Those with mental illnesses and behavioral problems have become particularly difficult to place. The Commissioner said DSS had burned its bridges with at least two hotels in the county as a result of client disruptiveness. Moreover, homeless shelters in Binghamton and Utica now require indigents to sign up for long-term care programs. “People refuse to do that. These are people who can’t commit to anything,” Osborne said.
Lack of affordable, temporary housing is another issue. And church officials have said their coffers are limited when it comes to offering help.
“The fact is, the churches are stretched to the limit,” First Baptist Church Pastor Susan Panek Polizzi said last January when a number of clergy were alerting the community of the situation.
Committee member Richard Schlag, D-German, asked Osborne why the situation was worse now. “What’s the reason?” he asked. Osborne said she didn’t have a sufficient answer. Officials hope to have more information after the conculsion of a tracking study that has been underway since the spring.
Prompted by a question from Supervisor Allan I. Johnson, R-Smithville, about whether caseworkers actively seek out homeless individuals and families to help, Osborne said she was sure there were “many more out there than we are even seeing.”
Funding streams for temporary housing has dried up at agencies such as Opportunities For Chenango and the City of Norwich Housing Authority. The city paid rent on one, and later, two apartments for indigents in Norwich from 1994 until 2005. OFC handled the administrative end of the homeless intervention program.
“Right now, none of us has emergency housing,” said Norwich City Housing Authority Director Judy Wingate-Wade. “It’s a big concern and always takes a cooperative effort in our community between agencies.”
Between 8 to 10 individuals, many with a number of children, have regulary sought shelter from caseworkers at the County Office Building on a monthly basis, Department of Social Services Commissioner Bette Osborne told lawmakers this fall. She described the homeless situation as “unusual” over the course of her nearly five-year tenure with DSS.
“We’ve run out of places to put them,” she said during a meeting of the Health and Human Services Committee in October.
There are no shelters in Chenango County, and – like most rural counties – the resources for building one appear non-existent. “This is happening throughout the state, but smaller counties like ours are not prepared to handle it,” Osborne said.
Those with mental illnesses and behavioral problems have become particularly difficult to place. The Commissioner said DSS had burned its bridges with at least two hotels in the county as a result of client disruptiveness. Moreover, homeless shelters in Binghamton and Utica now require indigents to sign up for long-term care programs. “People refuse to do that. These are people who can’t commit to anything,” Osborne said.
Lack of affordable, temporary housing is another issue. And church officials have said their coffers are limited when it comes to offering help.
“The fact is, the churches are stretched to the limit,” First Baptist Church Pastor Susan Panek Polizzi said last January when a number of clergy were alerting the community of the situation.
Committee member Richard Schlag, D-German, asked Osborne why the situation was worse now. “What’s the reason?” he asked. Osborne said she didn’t have a sufficient answer. Officials hope to have more information after the conculsion of a tracking study that has been underway since the spring.
Prompted by a question from Supervisor Allan I. Johnson, R-Smithville, about whether caseworkers actively seek out homeless individuals and families to help, Osborne said she was sure there were “many more out there than we are even seeing.”
Funding streams for temporary housing has dried up at agencies such as Opportunities For Chenango and the City of Norwich Housing Authority. The city paid rent on one, and later, two apartments for indigents in Norwich from 1994 until 2005. OFC handled the administrative end of the homeless intervention program.
“Right now, none of us has emergency housing,” said Norwich City Housing Authority Director Judy Wingate-Wade. “It’s a big concern and always takes a cooperative effort in our community between agencies.”
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