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.