Members of the Chautauqua County Homeless Coalition are pictured during a meeting this week. P-J photo by Christopher Blakeslee

With homelessness increasing in Chautauqua County, the Jamestown area will not have its two Code Blue shelters open this winter.

The Chautauqua County Homeless Coalition held a meeting this week at the James Prendergast Library to brief various members and organizations on countywide homeless data. City Councilman Brent Sheldon, R-Ward 1, attended the meeting.

“We’re on par to top last year’s homeless numbers, and we have even less bedspace than we had last year,” said Josiah Lamp of Chautauqua Opportunities.

In 2022, the coalition reported, using its Homeless Management Information System, a total of 1,487 individuals who were imminently at-risk of becoming homeless and 816 who were homeless.

This year, 1,169 people are in imminent danger of becoming homeless while 769 are currently homeless with two more months of reporting to go.

Moreover, Joy Fellowship Free Methodist Church’s emergency homeless shelter and the Mental Health Association of Chautauqua County have reported that they will not be opening their overnight Code Blue shelter locations this year.

“We learned a few things last year,” said Dodi McIntyre, Joy Fellowship’s lead pastor. “We quickly burned out all our volunteers and had to hire paid staff to man our center. Plus, it’s extremely expensive, and our staff wasn’t properly trained or equipped to handle some of the clientele.

“However, the faith-based community came together last year, and we’re not walking away this year. We’re still going to offer services and food. Any agency is invited to come to our church and provide services right where the need is.”

The state Department of Homeless Services has a policy called “Code Blue” for winter nights when the temperature drops to 32 degrees or below, including wind-chill, between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Additionally, when Code Blue nights are in effect, the county’s Social Services department has authorized the issuance of round-trip bus tickets to Buffalo where it is hoped adequate shelter can be provided.

In 2022, 190 homeless individuals were affected by mental health disorders and, in 2023, with two more months of counting to go, there’s a reported 178 individuals cases afflicted with the same issues. Other issues among the homeless population over the last two years include drug use disorders – 26 in 2022 compared to 25 in 2023; chronic health conditions – 112 in 2022 compared to 103 in 2023; developmental disabilities – 65 in 2022 compared to 66 so far in 2023; alcohol use disorder – 133 in 2022 and 110 through 10 months of 2023; both alcohol and drug use – 20 in 2022 and 13 so far in 2023; and HIV conditions – 20 in 2022 and 13 in 2023.

Women also make up an increasing number of the homeless population. From 2015 through 2023, the population of women who are classified as homeless has grown at a steady rate:

89 in 2015; 108 in 2016; 145 in 2017; 226 in 2018; 177 in 2019; 216 in 2020; 238 in 2021; and 361 through October this year.

To put a face on the coming crisis, the homeless coalition brought in an individual who’s currently facing the challenges of finding an affordable home and is homeless herself.

“I’m homeless (and) I’m a single mother of three kids. I’m not a bad person,” said Rosa Lopez, a resident of Jamestown. “It is so hard to even find a place to rent, everything is so expensive.”

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 30% of one’s gross income is “affordable housing” up from 25% to accommodate for inflation and other factors. Additionally, low-income housing in Jamestown is going between $600 and $800.

While some progress is being made in this fight there appears to be a long wait list and periods of stagnant time between when a person requests assistance and when they’re able to get it.

“I’ve tried and tried,” said Lopez. “Everything seems to have a waiting list to get help, some places are months.”

Places like the YWCA are reporting that providing services for women is taking longer than expected. Some individuals requiring assistance are waiting between six and eight months, backlogging the agency’s ability to be able to assist others in need.

However, not all the news is negative.

“We’re planning to open up a women’s shelter, late in 2024,” Lamp said. “It will be 18 beds and will be located on the corner of Third Street and Lafayette.”

Additionally, a smattering of concerned citizens also attended the meeting and voiced their concerns, questions and ideas.

“If space is the issue, have we looked at places like our public schools, gymnasiums and commercial properties?” asked Bill Schmidt, a local resident and retiree. “What about local businesses and some of the properties they have and are not using?”