Citizen Merry Williams-Diers speaks on homeless issue before Jamestown City Council (August 26, 2024)
Citizens are pleading with the City and local organizations to work together on the issue of homelessness.
Over a handful of people spoke before Jamestown City Council Monday night on the issue, including Merry William-Diers of Jamestown who said recent arguments show people have lost sight of the issue.
She said the community needs to start with a “fresh slate” versus being on the defensive, “So, I think communication is a big part in that, so that rather than sharing misinformation across social media platforms and elsewhere, we all get on the same page and are actively brainstorming what we can do as city leaders, city officials, community members, non-profit organizations, to get on the same page to hopefully decrease the number of our shelterless population in Jamestown before snowfall.”
A Frewsburg resident and nurse who does work with alcohol and drug counseling, Sharon Donnelson, said she’s seen a rise in people looking for assistance but not knowing where to go, “They go to DSS and then they’re shipped to our office to do an exam or to see if they qualify for drug and alcohol counseling and they’re homeless. And they’re like, ‘Well, where do I go? I have no food. DSS won’t put us up in a hotel because I’m on drugs.’ They don’t know. Everything needs to come together.”
Multiple people asked if there are plans to have a Code Blue shelter this winter.
Jamestown Director of Development Crystal Surdyk said there is an organization working with Chautauqua County to open a permanent site, but there is no information yet on where that will be located or how many beds it will have.
Recovery Options Made Easy announced at the Homeless Coalition meeting on August 20 that they hope to have paperwork finalized by mid-September for a Code Blue shelter.
Surdyk said that organizations are working together on the homelessness issue, “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 may be an urgency that didn’t exist previously. There definitely will be more information coming over the next several weeks.”
Mayor Kim Ecklund said while the city has not received any funding for handling the homelessness issue since declaring the State of Emergency, the declaration has led to better collaboration between agencies.
If a homeless person wants to change their situation, they either get into a trade school or find a job. They are responsible for their actions, not the taxpayer. The taxpayer got tired of this, that’s why they leave the state.
Easier said then done when most belongings have been stolen and they have no ID
This issue of homelessness has been going on for a few years in Jamestown. What happened with the women’s shelter? The city needs to address and find a solution for this problem. Also rent has become to high.