Jun 12 2008

Schenectady, NY - 06/12/08

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One Response to “Schenectady, NY - 06/12/08”

1. # florenceohle on 12 Jun 2008 at 4:25 pm

   June 9, 2008

   Governor Paterson’s Economic Security Cabinet
   State of New York
   Albany, NY

   To Whom It May Concern:

   Community Action of Greene County, Inc. is the designated anti-poverty agency serving Greene County, New York and surrounding areas. Many of our programs are designed to assist low income individuals and families achieve and maintain self sufficiency. Such programs include those that meet immediate needs such as food and clothing, and those that assist in securing and maintaining suitable, affordable housing, and/or necessary transportation to and from employment. Being in an area that is very rural in nature, some of the difficulties facing our consumers may be very different than those of someone living in a more urban area.

   Meeting and speaking to my department heads on a regular basis, and recently attending several meetings with NYS Agencies and service providers that were focused on homelessness and transportation, I welcome this opportunity to address you with our observations/opinions on the assistance that we provide, or should be providing.

   There is in our area, and across this state, a lack of suitable, affordable housing. Many of the people we serve earn minimum wage or slightly above, and cannot afford decent housing. Rents have increased dramatically in our community over the past 10 years, where wages have not. Neither has the shelter allowance from Social Services. In Greene County, families are living in old boarding house rooms and bungalows, many of them one-room efficiencies, and this is considered “permanent” housing. Some of these property owners are savvy, charging exactly the DSS allowance, and rather than living in substandard motels, at huge cost to the State, families are “choosing” these rooms. We have no homeless shelters in Greene County, no SRO’s, and very few Supported Housing Units. This needs to change.

   The lack of public transportation is a major barrier to the success of those we provide service to. The hub of our county, Catskill, has experienced a tremendous re-vitalization recently, and has become a trendy, more expensive area. The less expensive housing is located ten or miles away from this area, and employment opportunities for the less skilled workers are scattered throughout the county. Without a personal vehicle, which many cannot afford, it is difficult, if not impossible to maintain employment. Some of the more recent job opportunities in the county mandate overtime to meet production goals. If a person is accessing Community Action’s van-pool transportation to and from work, and cannot commit to that overtime, they are terminated. The same holds true for CNA’s in our long term facilities that are mandated to longer shifts. Living outside of the hub, in the more rural areas, families are not able to utilize their resources in the most effective manner. Food stamp benefits are utilized at convenience stores, at inflated prices. Access to such services as mental health and drug and alcohol counseling is limited. People are being “stranded”, in the middle of nowhere.

   At the recent meeting hosted by OTDA, many counties reported on the tens and hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars currently being spent to house homeless families and individuals in hotels and motels, often at inflated prices. Those attending also heard about such allowable, unlimited costs paid by Social Service agencies, such as moving expenses, storage.
   We recently assisted a family from NYC, where NYC DSS paid $7,000 in storage fees, paid to transport the belongings to our area, where we then assisted the consumers in disposing of it!
   Wouldn’t this money be better spent subsidizing rents for those people who are not making it on their own? Provide more case management services to see that these people, once housed and employed, remain self sufficient. Once they obtain a job and housing, don’t pull out the supports so quickly. Allow them time to establish a routine, a realistic budget, perhaps even some savings. We are throwing money away on these hotels, and solving nothing.

   To many of our families homeownership is an unobtainable dream. Before one can run, one must learn to walk. People deserve, and have the right, to work and earn a living wage. Children deserve to be raised in, and come home after school, to a safe place with ample room to play and grow. If for no other reason than the children, our system has to change. If this issue of poverty is not addressed, children will do without, be neglected or abused. The cycle will perpetuate itself. There is so much waste in our society, so much extravagance, yet so many do without. Thank you for your commitment to change.

   Sincerely,

   Florence Ohle
   Executive Director

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