The single mother, salesperson and founder of Be the Change You Want to See in Jamestown, has had enough. Every Friday at or around 1 p.m. she and her wagons travel around the city distributing food, water, clothing and inclement weather gear to not only individuals who are homeless, but she goes to some of their actual encampments as well.

“I get it,” said Weber. “Most of them (homeless) are afraid to come out, they’re afraid the police are going to make them move or take down their “homes” … then what, what are they supposed to do … that’s why I go to them and establish trust.”

NOT ALWAYS BY CHOICE

While an argument could be made that some of these individuals don’t want help or have ended up homeless because of a drug or alcohol addiction, that’s simply not the case, according to Weber.

What appears to be a makeshift, sleeping location, located in the back of a building where an assumed homeless individual sleeps at or has slept in, Friday. Submitted Photo

“Not everyone is homeless by choice,” she said. “Some of them are afraid to ask for help, some don’t know how to ask and a lot of them don’t trust the government, because of negative, past experiences. Also, there’s a lot of them that have mental health issues, past psychological trauma and are afraid.”

Additionally, while some local agencies, organizations and governmental officials are allegedly reporting a significant reduction with the homelessness population within the confines of the Pearl City – it doesn’t take one to look very far and see the plethora of individuals pushing shopping carts full of their worldly possessions in every direction and section of the city. Earlier this week four people were seen huddled near the parking garage across from the United Christian Advocacy Network’s temporarily shuttered City Mission trying to keep warm – with four shopping carts full of used tents, clothing, cans of food and fishing poles.

Taking a walk with Weber shows more than one can see simply driving around Jamestown. More than 12 individuals were identified at three locations around Jamestown in various states of homelessness on a recent Friday morning.

“We’re aware of some of the encampments, I’m not 100% sure of the numbers but I am guessing in the 20s or so,” said Mayor Kim Ecklund. “We will continue to partner and work with county officials to get the help these individuals and families need.”

One homeless woman, who goes by Tina, was found to be living in a makeshift blue tarp shelter with what appeared to be two broken wrists, which healed wrong. She’s living on the north side of town.

Facing the camera is Bonnie Weber, a homeless advocate who uses her own resources to help those who are homeless. facing away from the camera is a current homeless woman, who goes by the name of Tina, and is living in the blue tarp shelter in the background on Friday. P J Photo by Christopher Blakeslee

There are more than 10 makeshift shelters or sleeping locations built around the city or that are currently being constructed that appear to have people living in them or signs that people were recently in the vicinity.

The Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene is reporting that there are more than 137 homeless individuals/families in temporary housing as of Tuesday.

While some of the encampments appeared to be inhabited, some may also be abandoned. Many of the sites, though, show signs all have signs of possible habitation, such as brand new, used wrappers from food products placed there or given directly to individuals the week before by Webber; smoldering fire pits; attempted, washed, clothing hanging out to dry; additional or newly built shelters at known encampments; at least three shelters in various states of repairs which appeared to have been done relatively recently because of brand new patching material, and heavy foot traffic in odd places.

MULTIFACETED APPROACH

Last fall, county Social Services officials said they wanted to move away from the use of hotels and create expanded shelters. That decision was made in part because of community concerns over the use of hotels like the Budget Inn in Falconer that were creating problems for Falconer business owners and residents. In that September 5 news release, county officials said they were working with the county’s Homelessness Coalition to identify priority areas.

Permanent supportive housing pairs affordable housing with case management and supportive services, which have been shown to not only help people experiencing chronic homelessness to achieve long-term housing stability, but also, improve their health and well-being.

That idea was reiterated this week by Carmelo Hernandez, county Mental Hygiene and Social Services director, when asked about the encampments in the Jamestown area.

“As the Director of Mental Hygiene and Social Services, I firmly believe that addressing homelessness in Jamestown requires a multifaceted approach that prioritizes mental health resources, community support and quality housing solutions,” said Carmelo Hernandez, county Department of Mental Hygiene and Social Services director. “The recent challenges surrounding emergency housing, such as the temporary closure of the UCAN City Mission, underscore the urgent need for comprehensive intervention.”

Hernandez then continued to explain the correlations between mental health, substance abuse and homelessness.

“The correlation between mental health issues and substance abuse among individuals experiencing homelessness is evident, highlighting the necessity for targeted support services. While local hotels can provide immediate relief, they alone cannot address the underlying causes of homelessness. We must strive for a continuum of care, integrating transitional and supportive housing options to ensure long-term stability and wellbeing for those in need,” he said.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, a chronically homeless person costs the taxpayer an average of $35,579 dollars per year. In 2022, $1.36 million dollars was spent on Temporary Housing in Chautauqua County, up from $636,000 in 2021. Of the 2022 spending, $290,000 was paid to the Budget Inn for Temporary Housing services.

Costs on average are reduced by 49.5 percent when homeless are placed in supportive housing. Supporting housing, the Alliance reports, costs on average $12,800 dollars, making the net savings roughly $4,800 per year.

The total number of homeless, and those at risk of homelessness, greatly increased post-pandemic in Chautauqua County, with Chautauqua Opportunities Inc. reporting from over 800 individuals in 2020, over 1,000 in 2021, to now nearly 1,500 in 2022.

‘CONTINUE TO HELP’

Not all of the city’s homeless want help.

“I like living like this in the woods,” said a man who prefers to go by the name “Big Red.” Big Red is a 6-foot, 3-inch, 270-pound individual who is living happily in the woods and prefers that his location stays hidden. “I don’t want to be a part of your society, I don’t want to pay bills, I don’t want to chase the Joneses and all their crap. I’d normally come out of the woods and stay at a shelter until the weather breaks, but this year I couldn’t…so I made the best of it. I have all I need out here and the grocery store of Mother Nature provides me with everything.”

Tina, on the other hand, doesn’t want to be homeless, but she’s also found herself distrustful of some agencies that could help her.

“I want help, but I don’t trust the government, they’ve screwed me over too many times,” she said. “Maybe a church could help.”

Moreover, for Weber, the time is now to help, talk is cheap, and actions speak louder than words.

“I’ll continue to help and support them until something else is done,” she said.