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Help On The Way

Code Blue Shelter Announcement Coming; Residents Ask For Cooperation On Homeless Crisis

By John Whittaker 6 min read

More information may be coming in the next few weeks about a new Code Blue shelter for the homeless in the Jamestown area.

After nearly an hour of public comment – much of it focused on community residents' concerns about the homeless – Crystal Surdyk, city development director, was asked by Councilman Tony Dolce, R-Ward 2 and council president, if there was anything she could share with those who remained for the end of Monday's City Council meeting about preparations to shelter the homeless when the colder winter months arrive.

"So there is an organization that I think has been designated," Surdyk said. "I don't know if it's official yet so I don't want to share the name of the organization yet. They have been working with the county (Department) of Mental Hygiene and Department of Social Services to put together a Code Blue shelter. It would be a more permanent Code Blue shelter. I don't have specific details on size, location, number of beds, any of that. Those details are yet to be released to us. But we know that is being worked on and the intention is to have all those details confirmed and I believe to have them out to the public by mid September."

CONCERNS RAISED

Several city residents spoke during the public comment portion of Monday's meeting. Tony Georgakis said the city should be spending more money on the homeless, questioning why only $79,500 was being spent from Community Development Block Grant money while taking exception with the city expressing disappointment a couple of weeks ago with COI, which has been designated as the lead agency of the Chautauqua County Homeless Coalition.

"You guys really need to step up your game as far as dealing with this issue," Georgakis said before referring to the city's 2024 CDBG action plan. "The plan here has a whole list of organizations that are supposed to help you guys out. You target COI as the main hub for the homeless. COI is dealing with a Titanic situation. They are in a Title 8 Titanic. This whole county is Title 8. You, the city of Jamestown, expect them to handle everything. You can't do that. You guys have to step up and do your share."

A few speakers asked about Code Blue shelters, which prompted Dolce's question to Surdyk. Trace Minavio asked both about shelters as well as if scattering homeless was the right move when it may have been easier to get homeless mental health or addiction services if they were congregated in one area.

"That just makes it all the harder," Minavio said.

Other city residents asked for agencies and governments to work together to address the homeless crisis. That was the crux of comments from Bonnie Weber, a longtime advocate for the homeless; Merry Williams-Diers, an advocate for both the homeless and for missing persons cases; and Lorrie Catalano, a Colfax Street resident, all asked for more coordination and cooperation amongst the various agencies working to resolve the homeless crisis in the Jamestown area.

"Today I want to talk to you about Theresa, because nobody is talking about Theresa," Weber said. "She died. While everybody's arguing and going tit for tat, that was the cost of a life. She died, homeless. There've been how many meetings? I think as a city and a community we need to provide better. People need help and they're too afraid to come forward and ask for help. When they do it's ridiculous. It really is. I'm really disappointed in a lot of things."

NO MONEY, BUT NEW COLLABORATION

City officials gave lengthy responses to city residents' questions. Dolce reiterated previous comments he's made about the breadth of the problem regionally and across the country while adding he heard a distinct message from many in the audience.

"I know there are difficult situations going on with the homeless as well," Dolce said. "I know people are very upset about it. I think the main thing many of you said is let's work together: the agencies, the city and the county and the state. ... One of the things I heard tonight is to lower the temperature. It's been really high in the last couple of weeks. People are upset, there are a lot of comments and pointing fingers. It's time for everybody to turn it down a notch and see what we can do and work together."

Surdyk said last week's Chautauqua County Homeless Coalition meeting, attended by roughly 100 people, said the conversations city residents are asking for are happening. In addition to a new Code Blue shelter, Surdyk said there are also longer-range projects being discussed that include temporary housing, temporary shelters and some longer-term actions that will need more discussion.

"There are definitely things in motion. There are a lot of wheels turning and organizations are working together," Surdyk emphasized. "I want to make sure everyone is aware that, while yes, we can always do better with communication and coordination and collaboration, these very difficult conversations are happening and I believe there is an urgency that maybe didn't exist previously. I think there's definitely more information that will be coming over the next several weeks."

Ecklund and Surdyk also took time to address a commonly heard criticism that the city has misused money that was meant for the homeless. Surdyk said the city has appropriated Community Development Block Grant funding for lead remediation work on a new women and children's shelter while also receiving $188,500 in federal CARES Act funding in 2022 to help open two Code Blue shelters that were open for one winter before not reopening in 2023.

And while the State of Emergency declared in July could open the doors for additional outside funding to help the homeless, Ecklund made clear once again that no additional outside funding has come because of the emergency declaration. But, the declaration did kick-start a community discussion and collaboration about the homeless crisis.

"I keep hearing over and over about the city misappropriating funds," Ecklund said. "The city has received no funding for homelessness as far as I am ever aware of. We have allocated CDBG funding, that's correct, for blight and homelessness. However we received no funding and therefore we have not received funding off the state of emergency. There has been no money received. The one thing I am very, very grateful for that we have accomplished is a lot of collaboration. That will continue both to address short-term and long-term (issues)."

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