Schenectady, NY– A group of advocates, including Citizen Action of New York and VOCAL-NY, are calling on Schenectady County legislators, the City Council, the Department of Social Services (DSS), and state level representatives to do more to address homelessness and support those at risk for homelessness. The group strategically placed a “House our Homeless” billboard advertisement on Broadway at 1-890, facing the Schenectady County DSS.
“Schenectady’s housing crisis is not going to fix itself,” said Shawn Young, schenectady resident and community organizer at Citizen Action of New York. “As I drive through the city of Schenectady, the dramatic increase in homelessness is apparent. On many of our corners, the homeless stand in desperate need of assistance. Our leaders must realize that housing is a basic human right, and they need to stop putting vulnerable people on the back burner when it comes to housing.”
The county has seen a spike in homelessness. According to the most recent Homeless Management Information System quarterly report for Schenectady County, 2,773 people are experiencing homelessness or are at risk for homelessness – a significant increase compared to 2,245 people one year prior. Additionally, nearly 70 % of adults experiencing homelessness or at risk for homelessness reported at least one health condition, while 536 adults served reported conditions that meet the criteria to be considered a disability.
Advocates are demanding multiple actions on the part of city, county, and state legislators. First is an increase in financial resources allocated for low threshold, longer term shelter beds in Schenectady, in order to reduce the need for floor mats and the use of bus passes to relocate people out of town for shelter in another county. Next is a public commitment to end homelessness by fighting for a New York Homes Guarantee and proclaiming their public support for regulatory changes that reduce and remove barriers to stable housing and temporary housing assistance. The group says that while there are a handful of local non-profits and shelters attempting to meet the county’s needs, government officials can and should do more. This is most obvious on code blue nights, when there is currently an inability to guarantee local shelter through the harsh winter months.
“We need to identify the problem out-loud; homelessness continues to be significant in Schenectady County,” said Chad Putman, a community advocate. “We need to call for structural changes in regulation and policies that put barriers in front of vulnerable populations preventing them from retaining temporary and long-term shelter assistance and stable housing. We must recognize that housing is a human right and increasing access to housing first programs and shelters is imperative. We can and we must do better.”