2026-10-28 - Common Council Public Safety Committee

01:59Mhm.

03:54>> Mhm.

04:43>> Working?

04:44>> Brian's got it.

04:44>> Oh, there it goes. Thank you, Brian.

04:46Um good afternoon, everybody. Um my name

04:48is Counselor Donna Moore. I have with me

04:51Counselor Aaron Wright, Counselor Nave,

04:56My god, my brain just went dead.

04:58>> Counselor Caldwell?

04:59>> Counselor Caldwell.

05:00>> [laughter]

05:01>> Counselor Hutchinson, I believe Monto is

05:04here.

05:04>> Hudson.

05:04>> Hudson, I said. Um

05:06>> Counselor Williams.

05:07>> Williams and um Monto.

05:10Sorry about that, Rashida.

05:12>> [laughter]

05:13>> Um

05:13>> And we had to sit together over here.

05:15We're We're matching.

05:17>> Oh.

05:17>> You like that?

05:18>> it.

05:18>> Yeah.

05:18>> It's beautiful.

05:20So, first of all, I want to thank

05:21everybody that's here today. Um I

05:23appreciate you taking time out of your

05:25schedule to come. Um I also want to

05:27thank you for the work that you're doing

05:28in our community. It's important, vital

05:30work for our community.

05:32Um and I also want to acknowledge that

05:35Onondaga County, uh through the

05:36Department of Social Services, has the

05:39primary role in administering um many of

05:42the programs that are addressing the

05:44unhoused in our community.

05:46I also know the mayor's office um

05:48through Stephanie Pasquale is doing a

05:50lot of work and is interacting with a

05:52lot of you guys and we appreciate the

05:53work she's doing.

05:55Um one of the reasons I called this

05:57meeting today is because I am chair of

05:59public safety. I'm also the district

06:01counselor for district two, which has

06:03the downtown area is part of my

06:05district. I'm hearing concerns from

06:08residents and from businesses on a

06:10regular basis

06:12and so I wanted to call this meeting

06:14together just to have some open

06:16accountability to the community about

06:18all the things that are being are in

06:20place and that are happening in our

06:22city. There is a lot of great work

06:23doing. This is a big problem, right? And

06:26it's not um unique to Syracuse, New

06:29York. It is happening all over the

06:30United States and I want to acknowledge

06:33that. Um

06:35so I think that uh

06:37what I wanted to do was just kind of

06:39have the different groups that are here

06:42representing today come up to the

06:43microphone, introduce yourself, the name

06:45of your group, and some of the questions

06:48I'd like to have answered today and the

06:49counselors will also have questions for

06:51you as well.

06:53Um

06:53I'd like to know how many unique

06:55individuals each agency is serving on a

06:57regular basis.

06:59Um I would like to know currently what

07:01services you are providing to our

07:03community um such as emergency shelter,

07:06meals, outreach for mental health, um

07:10addiction treatment, case management,

07:12housing placement, etc.

07:14Um

07:15do we know do is anybody run the

07:18statistics to know how many unhoused

07:20people are in our city right now?

07:22Um

07:23and also do we track how many are

07:25receiving services in Syracuse that

07:27lived outside of Onondaga County and

07:29have come here for services?

07:32Is that happening? Those are questions

07:33that I'm getting every day that we'd

07:35like answered.

07:36Um

07:37so

07:38I'm sure these like I said these guys

07:40are going to have other questions as

07:42well, but my hope is that we can

07:44identify the gaps in services that we

07:46might have

07:47um some creative ideas for. I think

07:50there are programs out there that are

07:52working in other communities. Um one of

07:55the things that I've looked at is in

07:57Milwaukee,

07:58they bought an old factory and they've

08:00put pods in there.

08:01Um one of the things I hear from some of

08:04our unhoused people is they don't feel

08:06safe in some of the shelters, so they

08:08choose to not go to the shelters.

08:10So how do we make our shelters safer? So

08:13people feel more comfortable going to

08:15them. Those are the questions I have. Um

08:17I'm sure the other counselors have many

08:18other questions.

08:20Yes.

08:28Well, there's there's a lot of them

08:29here, so

08:30>> [laughter]

08:32>> If anybody would like to from the

08:33organizations take these seats, you're

08:34more than welcome to.

08:36Um

08:37so if somebody would be the first to

08:39step up and just try to address some of

08:41those questions, tell me what

08:42organization you're from.

08:44I would appreciate it.

08:50>> Hi counselors. Thanks for having us

08:51today. I'm Megan Stuart, I'm the

08:53executive director of the Housing and

08:54Homeless Coalition of Central New York.

08:56Um

08:58I want to start by saying that we have

09:00one of the most collaborative and

09:02innovative communities, especially when

09:04it comes to outreach, in the country. We

09:07are used as a model of how to do street

09:11outreach, and not only street outreach,

09:13but how to sustain

09:15and uphold low-barrier shelter. Um

09:18meaning that folks can go in there

09:20without having to maintain sobriety,

09:23without having to

09:25engage in treatment. Yes, those services

09:27are embedded in all of our shelter and

09:28all of our outreach.

09:30But we have, I believe, 98% of our

09:33homeless population is in shelter every

09:36night. We have one of the lowest

09:38number of people experiencing

09:40unsheltered homelessness in the state.

09:43We have less people experiencing

09:45unsheltered homelessness than Jefferson

09:47County

09:48in Onondaga County.

09:50That is a big difference in population

09:52and per capita we're still lower than

09:54the remainder of the state.

09:56I think what you want to look at is what

09:58has changed in this community because

10:01what hasn't changed is the incredible

10:03service that is being provided by

10:05everyone in this room.

10:06What's changed is simply the housing

10:08market. There are folks who used to be

10:11able to afford

10:13efficiency studios, one-bedroom

10:15apartments that cannot afford that

10:17anymore. The DSS budget for a single

10:20individual hasn't changed since the

10:21'90s.

10:23Folks receive $386

10:26to spend on rent every month, not only

10:29rent but utilities and basic needs.

10:32Find me a an apartment

10:34that costs $300 in this community. You

10:37cannot.

10:38That's what's changed and that's what

10:40you're seeing now.

10:42I like that you started very

10:43solutions-focused. That's really

10:45important. That's what all of these

10:47providers here are doing. We're

10:48solutions-focused.

10:51Um

10:52I do want to touch on the point-in-time

10:53count data. We conduct a count every

10:56January.

10:58This past year we had

11:01a

11:03Excuse me, my my stat isn't rolling off

11:05my tongue. I believe we had a 30%

11:07reduction in the folks sleeping outside.

11:09That's because of things we've opened

11:11like the warming center. That's the

11:14increased outreach opportunities we

11:15have, whether that's mental

11:17health-specific outreach, substance

11:19use-specific outreach, uh

11:21homeless-specific outreach. Those

11:23services have increased over the past

11:25couple of years to address this issue.

11:28Um folks are extremely coordinated in

11:31that work. Uh some of you might be

11:33familiar. We collect all of the

11:36homelessness information in a database,

11:38the Homeless Management Information

11:39System.

11:41Every provider in this room has access

11:44to that, enters data in it, and uses it

11:46to collaborate, make sure those services

11:49are coordinated. They can see where

11:51someone slept last night. They can see

11:52who the case manager is for anyone

11:55they're working with.

11:56Um

11:58so I guess in closing, I just want to

11:59say that when you look at solutions, you

12:01have to look at housing solutions as the

12:03primary

12:05way to solve this crisis. It is

12:08affordability.

12:09It is folks getting evicted. It is

12:13system and market

12:16impacts that providers, though they want

12:19to provide great service, aren't

12:21responsible for solving. And they're

12:23doing great work, and I just want to

12:24kick this off saying, you have a great

12:27group of folks here who are

12:29solutions-oriented, but we can't fix the

12:31housing market.

12:32>> Agreed. Thank you.

12:34>> Thank you, Mayor.

12:35>> [applause]

12:39[cheering]

12:40>> Somebody else?

12:42>> I'll be happy to go next.

12:43>> Thank you.

12:43>> Michelle McElroy, Chief Program Officer

12:45for ACR Health. I think our situation is

12:48different because we are regional, so I

12:49would like to start with that particular

12:51comment. Thank you, counselors, for

12:52having us here today. Um as far as the

12:56data you're looking for, number of

12:57individuals served annually, over 10,000

13:00across a nine-county region. So again,

13:02we serve a nine-county region. We do not

13:04just center here in Onondaga County. The

13:06types of services that we offer, housing

13:09primarily for people living with HIV.

13:11Um we do emergency food, again,

13:13primarily for folk living with HIV. We

13:15also do that a little bit in our

13:17prevention testing high-risk programs,

13:19emergency food.

13:21We have case management services, both

13:22grant-funded and health homes and health

13:24homes plus. We do not do ACT or AOT.

13:27Um we do not do any emergency shelter

13:30services. That's not within our scope

13:32nor funding.

13:33We do track people who live outside

13:35Onondaga County and a lot of the folk we

13:36serve live outside Onondaga County

13:38because we are a regional provider. If

13:40the nuance of the data you're looking

13:41for is people being served in Onondaga

13:43County who don't live here, that's a

13:45very different sort of number. Um we do

13:48track that for some specific programs

13:50but not others and it often has to do

13:52with contracted eligibility criteria.

13:56Um I'd like to echo Megan's concerns

13:58about presenting this as a homelessness

14:00or unhoused crisis when I think that

14:02really what we have is an affordable

14:04housing crisis. Um and this

14:07to your remarks earlier is not just here

14:08in Syracuse. We see this all across our

14:10nine-county region. I also serve

14:12Watertown, Jefferson County. I'm on the

14:14community service board there. And in

14:16fact, they really do have a vastly large

14:18number of unsheltered, unhoused folk in

14:21Jefferson County despite it being in the

14:22North Country and not densely populated.

14:25Certainly, I was at a meeting just like

14:26this

14:27six weeks ago in Utica. Exactly the same

14:30tone, exactly the same concerns. Public

14:32safety, affordability, who's doing the

14:35service, who's not doing the service.

14:37The reality is I think that we're all

14:38showing up and doing the service. But

14:40none of us, to Megan's point, are able

14:42to change the market. And I'd like to

14:44make a specific point about one of the

14:46things that's changed recently just in

14:47the last few months is about pressure to

14:50move people from places where they were

14:52living unsheltered and now they're out

14:54in the public. It's not that they

14:56weren't unsheltered, it's that now they

14:57can't be in the inner harbor. There's

14:59nowhere for them to hide. There's

15:01nowhere that for them to feel safe. And

15:02so they have been pushed out onto the

15:04street where people can see them. It is

15:06not that they weren't already there. It

15:07is that now people are seeing them and

15:09the problem is visible. It is not a new

15:12problem.

15:13And I'd be happy to answer any other

15:14specific questions.

15:15>> Appreciate that. Thank you.

15:19Anybody else from another agency that

15:20like to speak on what you're doing and

15:26>> Good afternoon counselors. John Tumino,

15:28executive director of In My Father's

15:30Kitchen, co-founder with my wife Lan,

15:31who's in the gallery. So, uh specific to

15:34what we do at In My Father's Kitchen,

15:37I'm going to echo everything that was

15:38just said. It is a housing affordability

15:40problem that we're seeing in Central New

15:42York, but we are still doing great work

15:45and people are getting housed. It just

15:46takes a little bit longer for folks to

15:48get housed. Two things that we do at In

15:51My Father's Kitchen is first direct

15:52street outreach. So, we're going out to

15:54those who will not go to shelter.

15:57In the woods, in an abandoned building,

15:59under a bridge,

16:00uh won't go to the shelter. Our

16:02demographic that we work with has severe

16:05untreated mental health challenges going

16:07on as well as substance abuse.

16:1095% of our group have both of them

16:12happening at the same time. So,

16:13sometimes it's

16:15you can't supersede someone's free will

16:17choice to make a decision, right? To be

16:19sober or to take their medication. So,

16:21we're going to build a relationship with

16:23you over period of time and hopefully

16:27you buy into the relationship and then

16:29we help you navigate the system to get

16:31to where you need to go for what you

16:33want to happen in your life.

16:35Right now, In My Father's Kitchen has an

16:37active caseload of over 70 individuals

16:40that we're working with directly uh on

16:42the streets of Syracuse. The other

16:44program that we run is our Higher Ground

16:45program, which is in partnership with

16:48the city of Syracuse and Onondaga

16:49County. The money comes through the city

16:51abstract to Onondaga County and then

16:53that funds that project. It's a day

16:55labor program.

16:57As we're speaking right now, there's a

16:58group of individuals on a van instead of

17:00panhandling or feeling homeless, they're

17:03on a van working, getting dignity and

17:05value through work.

17:06Uh they get paid at the end of the day a

17:08stipend, they get fed, and they get 5

17:10hours of case management. Instead of a

17:1110-minute encounter with me on an under

17:13a bridge, you're on a van with a case

17:15manager [clears throat]

17:16and Kevin, our supervisor, who has the

17:18lived experience is now 12 and 1/2 years

17:20sober. I met that gentleman under a

17:22bridge 12 and 1/2 years ago.

17:24His brother died in an abandoned fire uh

17:2710 years ago. He's now in recovery and

17:30working for us. So, he's a shining light

17:31that change is possible uh and showing

17:34individuals that it's possible to

17:36happen. Um the third project that we do

17:38is restore outreach for women that my

17:40wife runs. It's working with women

17:42suffering from domestic violence, sexual

17:45exploitation, and living in a homeless

17:46situation. And Lianne runs that project

17:49with volunteers helping people navigate

17:51their inner trauma. Um

17:54just give you an example. We have a

17:55scope of service that we have to put out

17:57cuz we get an ESG grant, a small grant

17:59that comes through us, which we

18:00appreciate that the city allows us to be

18:03able to manage that little bit of it.

18:04And we hit our scope every year in

18:06regards to the numbers of people that we

18:07project that we'll get indoors. Uh right

18:10now this year

18:12we're up already up around 27 people

18:14since May 1st of getting into housing.

18:17We just housed seven people the month in

18:19the month of October. Uh so, we've been

18:21doing this for 15 years now. We're in

18:23our 15th year of existence. Uh we're up

18:26to 499 people off the streets in 15

18:29years. But, the scary thing for me is

18:32we you get two people off and two people

18:34show up. It's like a revolving door that

18:37we're seeing out there. And it's really

18:39scary. And uh our since COVID, we always

18:41knew post COVID that we were going to

18:43have higher numbers and we've

18:44experienced this. Uh as in My Father's

18:46Kitchen and an agency, we've always had

18:48about 40 to 35 people as an active

18:50caseload. Since COVID, we're up over 70

18:53the last 2 years. So, and the numbers

18:55are getting younger.

18:57So, we're seeing younger individuals out

18:58there and we're seeing more women than

19:00we've ever seen before outside, which is

19:03really scary. So, um I say that we are

19:06doing a great work as a collective as

19:08our coalition. We're all doing our

19:10piece. But, the piece is again the

19:12housing part of it. Like if you get

19:15matched with a rapid rehousing program,

19:17you're they'll pay some subsidy of your

19:19rent for a certain amount of time, but

19:21after that time period of elapses,

19:24you're responsible to carry your weight.

19:26And guess what? You can't do it with a

19:27PA budget. And our group that we're

19:30working with, specifically the folks

19:31that I'm dealing with, aren't ready to

19:33go to work yet. They need to navigate

19:35their mental health challenges, their

19:37addictions, getting themselves stable

19:40before they could even go into the

19:41workplace. We've We've placed like 15 to

19:4420 people through our Higher Ground

19:45program into employment. A lot of them

19:48have fizzled out because they don't have

19:49the skill set.

19:50And it was like prematurely putting

19:52someone in there. Are we really doing

19:54anything good for them? I think

19:55sometimes we're setting them up for

19:56failure. Right? And I think some of the

19:58programs that we have, based on the fact

20:00that they can't afford these apartments,

20:02they get put into something, but it's

20:03like kicking the can down the road

20:05because in 6 months they're going to be

20:06back out on the street again. And they

20:08land in my lap again to put them on a

20:10list to get them back into an apartment.

20:11So, it's like a revolving door. But we

20:13are doing great work as a community, and

20:16I thank you for you guys wanting to

20:17learn more. If there's any questions you

20:19want to ask me before I sit down, I'm

20:20willing to stand here and field the

20:22questions.

20:23>> have one question, and I think Counselor

20:25Moore asked it from the onset.

20:27Are we seeing people more people coming

20:30in from, just my theory, from outside of

20:33Onondaga County?

20:35>> So, in our experience, it's a minority

20:37group. I would say for me, maybe 2%. And

20:39then what usually happens if someone

20:41comes from Cayuga County, our county

20:43first wants to push you back to your

20:44county of origin. But if you're saying

20:46that you want to stay here and you don't

20:48go here, then you have to wait a period

20:50of time so that you could get Onondaga

20:51County services, and I think it's a

20:5345-day window. If I'm wrong, please

20:55correct me. And is that correct? So,

20:58it's a 45-day window. So, I can't I can

21:00feed you and visit you, but I can't

21:02connect you to anything for services

21:05until you become a county resident,

21:07which takes 45 days. But that's a small

21:09number. I don't see that a lot. We do

21:11see some transient people that might

21:13come through on trains and things that

21:14have or on a bus. They're just trying to

21:16get from one point to another point.

21:18They might stay here for a little while

21:19and they go on their way, but I don't

21:20see a lot of that.

21:22>> John.

21:23I was going to hold off my comments.

21:26But I think I have to express this now.

21:30Part of you.

21:31Part of everybody here.

21:35Two weeks ago I received a call

21:38from a constituent on the north side

21:41who has

21:43said there's squatters back of abandoned

21:46boarded up house and the property owner

21:49doesn't even pay taxes anymore.

21:53I went back there

21:57and I said

21:58friend

21:59no ice.

22:05The person

22:07barely spoke English. They were from

22:10Burma.

22:12Do you know why they were in back there?

22:15And they needed food and we got them

22:17food and we got them water, clothes. Do

22:19you know why they were burning a small

22:21fire?

22:23Because they were the ones

22:26who are picking our fruits and

22:27vegetables.

22:29The ones who do not speak English. Do

22:31the ones who came here.

22:34And they are here now.

22:37And now they're on the run.

22:39They were given a little stipend and

22:41they said go on your way.

22:44This is our harvest of shame.

22:48The harvest of shame.

22:50People pick our fruits and vegetables.

22:53And they're not treated as human beings.

22:57And and this is what's going on.

23:00And now they're on the run from the

23:02federal government cuz ICE wants to go

23:04after them and arrest them and send them

23:06some foreign land.

23:09This is where Where have we lost our

23:11humanity?

23:13Why are we going through this cruelty?

23:17They don't speak English and I went over

23:20there were gone.

23:21And they're closed and now they're on

23:23the run.

23:24And we talk about homelessness, people

23:26coming from other

23:28counties. Yeah, cuz there's farmers will

23:30pay them a minimum wage, go pick their

23:33fruits and vegetables, do this and all

23:35this. All that dirty work that nobody

23:37else will want to do.

23:40And then when the when the harvest

23:41comes,

23:43goodbye, see you next time.

23:46You're on your own. And then we talk

23:48about why are people homeless, why are

23:50on the street and why these people

23:53Look at them. Look at them as human

23:56beings. Where it all started.

23:59>> [cough and laughter]

23:59>> Because they were hired to come here.

24:03They were hired to come here

24:05to do a job.

24:07And they don't speak the language

24:09and we're going to put them in a

24:10dumpster? No. No. They're human beings.

24:15Okay, you and I both know what did Jesus

24:18say? What should do for the least of my

24:20brethren you shall do unto me, right?

24:22And I remember your mother and that's

24:24what we have to do and we're up a

24:26battle. It's not getting better.

24:29>> Thank you for sharing

24:30>> It goes back to night when Edward R.

24:31Murrow did a documentary called The

24:33Harvest of Shame.

24:34The same thing. So right now here in

24:36Central New York,

24:38we have our own harvest of shame.

24:41>> Thank you for sharing your heart. I know

24:43that was difficult and I appreciate your

24:45emotionalness to it and I think you're

24:46speaking, I say this with respect to the

24:49choir.

24:50You're you're talking our language and

24:52we appreciate that you have that

24:53heartbeat on the council cuz that makes

24:55a big difference in the work that we're

24:56doing, all of you, and the in the city

24:58of Syracuse. So, thank you for this time

25:00to share.

25:00>> Thank you, John.

25:02I want to add

25:03Can I just add one thing quick, Jimmy,

25:05before you go?

25:06>> Go ahead.

25:06>> Um

25:07first of all, I just again, I want to

25:08thank everybody here. One of the reasons

25:10I wanted to have this meeting is to

25:12change the perception in the public

25:14because I'm really sick of our city

25:15getting trashed. We have a lot of people

25:18here doing a lot of good things,

25:19including our city government, to try to

25:21make these situations better for people.

25:24Um recognizing we all at this table

25:26recognize that a lot of people in our

25:28community have various levels of trauma,

25:30that have various levels of um

25:33mental health issues,

25:35um addiction issues,

25:37and we have to continue to see these

25:40people our people as human beings, as

25:43Marty just said, and I think that's

25:44important. And John, I love the work you

25:46do, and everybody in this room, um we're

25:49doing good work.

25:50Um I think our codes department is doing

25:52the best they can right now to try to

25:54get more houses up and running and get

25:57in get them in the land bank's hands.

25:59Last night we attended a meeting. Uh

26:01Jimmy and um

26:04Corey were at it as well as Marty. Um

26:07and there's 1,300

26:08homes right now vacant in our city. And

26:11the faster we can get those online, the

26:13faster we can make those available to

26:15people. But there's a lot of um

26:18intricacies with the law

26:20that we have to work through to get

26:21those back online. And that is a big

26:24problem and something I think all of us

26:26are going to try to push to get done.

26:27But I just wanted to put that out there.

26:29Go ahead, Jimmy. I'm sorry.

26:32>> So, you said trending, and this might be

26:33a question for more people than just you

26:35in the room. You said trending younger.

26:36Are we talking about underage, like

26:39youth homeless youth problem? Are we

26:41seeing an increase there?

26:42>> That's a great question. So, I have in

26:44my 15 years of experience, I've met one

26:46person under 18 that was 17. Uh I'm

26:49talking about more 20-somethings, like

26:5125, 23, 24. And it's coming from

26:54brokenness. It's addiction that I'm

26:55seeing. Not everyone who's homeless has

26:57an addiction and not everyone who's

26:58homeless has, you know, mental health.

27:01I'm just talking about the group I'm

27:02doing a subset, dealing with a subset.

27:05And that group that I see has those two

27:07things that are going on in their lives,

27:08right? So, younger I met more in the

27:1120-somethings. When I did started doing

27:12this 15 years ago, it was like

27:1440-somethings, 30-late 30-somethings,

27:1650-somethings. And the number's going

27:18down lower and lower and lower.

27:21>> Cuz we see the So, we see the numbers

27:23pop up um in regards to students that

27:26are inside the city school district that

27:27are considered to be

27:29homeless, for lack of a better word,

27:31because it's not a great word for me.

27:33But

27:34the those kids, are they they're not out

27:38on the street.

27:40>> That's a question [clears throat] for

27:40someone else in the room. Yeah.

27:43Yeah. So, again, thank you for your

27:44time. And thank you for your

27:49>> So, I think my my what I want to make

27:52sure that people understand is that

27:53homeless doesn't mean standing on a

27:55corner begging for money. Unhoused can

27:57mean that you are couch surfing with

27:59your cousin for a week and then moving

28:01from there to your friend's sister for a

28:03week and then

28:04is that where those kids are?

28:06>> Yeah. So, this is a really fun um

28:08federal definition issue across the

28:12federal agencies. So, I think when a

28:14primarily when the coalition talks about

28:17people experiencing homelessness, we're

28:18talking about what HUD would consider

28:21literal homelessness. So, that's you're

28:23on the street, you're in the shelter,

28:24you're actively fleeing domestic

28:26violence. When the school district

28:28releases their data, it's a more

28:30encompassing definition that that

28:33children or families might be staying

28:35with um relatives, couch surfing, in any

28:38other precarious housing situation. So,

28:41it's not that narrow definition that we

28:43report our data on. I will say to all of

28:46you,

28:47we have all

28:49the coalitions are responsible for all

28:51of the federal reporting that goes into

28:53the annual homeless assessment report

28:55that goes to Congress every year. We

28:57keep up-to-date statistics. So, if

29:00there's ever anything, data points that

29:02were help would be helpful,

29:04we're the folks you can reach out to. We

29:07publish all of that federal reporting,

29:09but we also are able to pull reports,

29:11um, and we have a timeliness standard of

29:1372 hours. So, all the data that these

29:16folks are putting into the system is

29:18done within 72 hours. So, we're getting

29:20a really real-time look at that, but

29:22that was a long-winded answer to your

29:24question.

29:25>> you answered it. Thank you.

29:26>> Well, I have, um,

29:27>> It's directly relevant. Um, and Megan, I

29:30do know that Janelle Melendez, the

29:31District Speaking Event Coordinator, is

29:33on her way, and thank you for for

29:36sharing that overview. We can

29:37potentially have Janelle come up and

29:38speak when she gets here. Thank you.

29:40>> Thank you.

29:41>> I just wanted to speak to, um, Jimmy's

29:43question about, um, the age range. It's

29:46not a question for you. It's just I'm

29:47just want to say something. Um,

29:49>> Megan, stay close.

29:50>> So, on

29:52I can only speak for my district, per

29:54se, and some phone calls that I've

29:56received from other districts, but

29:59as far as the age range, um, of

30:02unhoused individuals being lower, we are

30:06seeing a uptick in younger individuals

30:10as young as sometimes 13, 14 years old,

30:14um,

30:16that are

30:17comfortable

30:20sleeping in cars and in abandoned

30:22houses. Um, it's not to say that they're

30:24homeless because I think that some of

30:28them just don't want to be in their

30:29house. Um, so, either they don't want to

30:32follow the rules or they're having

30:33issues within their home. So, they may

30:35not be homeless, but they are

30:37comfortable being outside. Um,

30:40and I'm not saying that they have mental

30:42health. They just

30:44have some other stuff happening. So, for

30:46me, that is a a big issue because um

30:50again, a lot of them are

30:52sleeping in cars. We have a lot of um

30:57automobile shops that are supposed to be

30:59small mechanic shops that have become

31:04uh what is it what they called?

31:07The yards. Uh

31:10>> Scrapyard.

31:10>> Junkyards. Yeah. Um and so, where you

31:13might had supposed to have less than 10

31:16cars on your lot, they have 30, 40, 50

31:19cars on a lot.

31:20And kids are breaking into these

31:22vehicles. They're sleeping in these

31:23vehicles. It's a danger one because um

31:27there was an incident where there's a

31:29possibility that a young lady was

31:31assaulted in one of these vehicles. So,

31:34the

31:35youth

31:37that I'm seeing um that are

31:40comfortable outside are within that age

31:44range of middle to high school.

31:48So, just putting that out there that

31:50that needs to also be looked at.

31:52>> One

31:53Um one thing I would like to First of

31:56all, thank you for everyone who comes

31:58and works with uh our our

32:01>> [clears throat]

32:01>> our community cuz we're all one. But,

32:04one thing I would like to know more

32:05about is cuz we, you know, homelessness

32:08is or people not having residences part

32:12of it. But, one of the biggest things

32:14that I'm seeing is this drugs that

32:16they're taking or whatever mix of

32:19chemicals they're taking um are making

32:22people a little bit more aggressive than

32:24normal, right? Um

32:27and I was wondering anybody that's

32:28working with population, have they seen

32:31or do they know of what

32:34has changed, the trend has changed a

32:36little bit because

32:37you know, a person who has lived in this

32:39community my whole entire life

32:41and now I see people who have once was

32:45on, you know, have been on drugs their

32:47whole life and they were never

32:48aggressive. Now they became aggressive,

32:51right? So, something has changed. You

32:53know, we know the homeless has changed,

32:54but something out there changed. Do we

32:56know in the community what fires the

32:59drugs or what's going on with that? Um

33:04in our community. Can anybody speak on

33:06that?

33:07Yep, come on up.

33:21Afternoon. Good afternoon.

33:22>> Thank you everybody and gentlemen for

33:23coming to support of myself. I'm

33:25homeless.

33:26And all the homeless in this community.

33:28>> Can you give us at least your first

33:29name?

33:30>> Excuse me.

33:30>> You can lift the mic right up to your

33:32mouth.

33:32>> Okay.

33:33>> There you go.

33:33>> And what was your question, ma'am?

33:35>> Can you give me your first name?

33:37>> My name is Scott.

33:38>> Thank you, Scott.

33:39>> Thank Thank you, Scott. We're just

33:41trying to figure out what is going on in

33:44the community fires. Is there a change

33:46of uh chemicals or drugs that are being

33:48used that were different that is

33:50changing the

33:51um

33:53>> I don't think it's the quality of the

33:55drugs. I think it's the amount of drugs

33:57that individuals use.

33:59They're smoking this stuff called spice.

34:01And it's a chemical and nobody knows

34:04what the health effects are going to be

34:05years from now.

34:06And um these guys they [clears throat]

34:08suck down cigar size

34:11uh blunts of this stuff.

34:13And it's constant.

34:16It be It turns them violent. I'm 65 65

34:20years old. I've been homeless for 2

34:21years. I've navigated every single

34:23system in the city

34:26and I'm still homeless.

34:28And um I've been beaten. I've been

34:30robbed.

34:31Um

34:32I sleep in doorways where there's

34:34cameras, so if I am attacked, it'll at

34:36least be documented. I've been to

34:38warming centers here in Syracuse. I've

34:40been beaten and robbed, abused by the by

34:43the staff when I complained about it.

34:45So, um

34:47one of the things that

34:49hasn't been addressed,

34:52Ice The issue with Ice has been

34:53addressed, but the Syracuse police are

34:56right now arresting homeless people for

34:58trespassing, violating park park

35:01ordinances,

35:03because we don't have a place to stay.

35:05We don't have a house to go into.

35:08Where are we supposed to go?

35:11And the police, they come into the parks

35:13and they arrest the homeless people. So,

35:16as far as them breaking into a car,

35:17they're hiding, not from Ice, but from

35:20your own police department.

35:23Something needs to be done.

35:25I'm 65. I'm out there sleeping on a

35:27sidewalk.

35:28The same

35:29They say you people wave your mad every

35:31day. That's why I sleep. And as I feel

35:34like

35:35I used mad,

35:37forgotten. I sit in Columbus Circle,

35:41and religious leaders

35:42and community politicians walk past me

35:45daily,

35:46and I speak with them, and I'm honest

35:48with them.

35:50And it's like I'm blind to them.

35:53And the other homeless people there

35:55we're blind to the city,

35:58and we're being harassed because we're

35:59homeless, and it's not right.

36:01So, there's a lot of things that need to

36:03change,

36:04and one of them is the drug issue in the

36:06city.

36:07We have great services. We have a lot of

36:09great agencies, but what these agencies

36:11need to do is get on the same page.

36:15You know, if I put in a if I put in an

36:17application [applause]

36:17with ACR,

36:20and 2 months later I go in and put in an

36:21application with My Father's Kitchen,

36:24the one that I put in with ACR will be

36:26taken out, and My Father's Kitchen will

36:27be put in its place. So, that pushes me

36:30backwards on instead of forward. And

36:32there's sometimes circumstances in our

36:34lives because we are homeless where we

36:36can't make it to an appointment. And we

36:38can't do some of the things that a

36:39person with a car can do or people that

36:42are of same

36:44judgment

36:46can navigate. Some people just can't do

36:47it.

36:48So, I ask that you take this serious and

36:51that you consider us as human beings

36:54because we are we're part of your

36:56community. Please stop walking all over

36:58us.

36:59>> THANK YOU, SCOTT.

37:04IS THERE ANYBODY HERE FROM THE RESCUE

37:06MISSION THAT WOULD LIKE to speak?

37:10>> Oh, I won't say it no more. Oh, right

37:12here. The um as far as what he's saying

37:15is the with the um being taken out from

37:18one center to another, is that under the

37:20continuum of care? Like what

37:23He expressed that if if he

37:27puts an application with one group and

37:29he was already applicant had an

37:30application with another group, he's

37:31being taken out and pushed down to the

37:34bottom. So, that's

37:35So, what is the continuum of care? How

37:37can the continuum of care address that?

37:39>> Yeah, that's

37:43So,

37:45there are a lot of different lists to

37:46get on for different housing program. We

37:48oversee and operate what's known as the

37:50coordinated entry list, which is not a

37:53waiting list. It is a prioritization

37:55list based on vulnerability and the

37:56length of time folks are experiencing

37:58homelessness. So, that list is compiled

38:02from all of the organizations that are

38:04doing assessments for vulnerability for

38:06things like uh

38:09health impacts from experiencing

38:11homelessness, whether you're vulnerable

38:13to things like being attacked while

38:14you're experiencing homelessness, um

38:17your age uh and other life experiences

38:20that make you what we call more

38:22vulnerable and what that means is more

38:24likely to risk violence against yourself

38:28or other uh

38:30health factors. Um that list again is

38:34done by priority, so there might be

38:36someone who wasn't on the list when

38:40and you've been sitting on it, but

38:42someone comes in and has experienced

38:43homelessness longer and might be more

38:45vulnerable and then would move up to the

38:47top of the list. However, the

38:49coordinated entry list is

38:51again coordinated, for lack of a better

38:53word, through all of those services

38:56through our office to make sure things

38:58like that are being addressed with

39:00different providers, but it wouldn't

39:01knock out

39:03and push you back if another application

39:05came in. You actually can't do another

39:07one because it already exists and we

39:09would catch that.

39:10But we're just one system for folks to

39:13get out. That list itself, that is a

39:15federally mandated through HUD list that

39:17we're required to have that funnels into

39:21primarily our continuum of care housing

39:23programs, which is about 15 million in

39:26permanent housing programming that's

39:27brought into the community through the

39:29continuum of care grant. Um

39:32We're and with other, you know, homeless

39:34serving projects that are required to be

39:36in there like emergency solutions grant

39:38rapid re-housing projects have to fill

39:40their beds from it. Specific state

39:42housing programs have to fill their beds

39:44from it.

39:45With that list, we're able to house 15%

39:48of the population every year.

39:50With an 85% gap of just the people who

39:52exist on that list. I believe there's

39:54currently about a thousand people on

39:55that list.

39:5715% of them might get a housing

39:59placement, might successfully get that

40:01housing placement. So, yes, it's

40:04coordinated.

40:05Yes, folks wait on it a long time. It's

40:08a capacity issue on the other end.

40:10>> Again, even I mean, for the city of

40:12Syracuse, we do not receive money for,

40:16you know, we get like this much of

40:18money, but all the money is generated

40:19from the county. They do social

40:21services. Where are you guys at with

40:23that communication and talking

40:26um with them about increasing of maybe

40:28dollars to support? Is anything in the

40:31talks?

40:32>> So, our primary focus is that HUD

40:35continuum of care housing. Um

40:38we work with the county really closely

40:40on shelter services and I'm sure folks

40:43here could talk about this much better

40:45than I can. Our focus again is that

40:48continuum of care housing spectrum and

40:50any programming that is required to

40:52enter into that continuum of care model.

40:55>> Megan, quick question for you.

40:57Are [clears throat] are you looking to

40:58just house people in the city or are the

41:00suburbs helping at all with some

41:02housing?

41:03>> So, we're a three-county region under

41:04the coalition Onondaga, Cayuga, and

41:06Oswego County. Our

41:09model for 98% of our housing program is

41:13scattered site. It is in the city, it is

41:16outside of the city, it is in Cayuga

41:18County, it is in Oswego County.

41:21Um

41:22some of our programming is

41:25>> [clears throat]

41:25>> what's known as having a housing search

41:27component. So, the participants are

41:29selecting where they want to live. Uh

41:32they're entering into to the lease with

41:33the landlord. It's just like how you and

41:35I would try and find housing.

41:37Um with obviously the help of a case

41:39manager to help facilitate that. Um the

41:42other

41:44part of that is what we call master

41:46leasing where an agency will hold the

41:49lease and sublease to a participant.

41:52That's another model that we have.

41:54Um but again, that is all scattered site

41:56and um

41:58I would say one of the constraints that

41:59we find that does concentrate more of

42:02the housing within the city is

42:03availability. Obviously, there are a lot

42:06more rental units within the city than

42:07outside of it. And then all of of

42:10programs are required to rent at fair

42:12market, which outside the city that gets

42:14more and more challenging to find units

42:16even at fair market, um let alone below

42:19it if your program is is

42:22um

42:23trying to serve more folks.

42:27>> Thank you.

42:29Uh Helio, do you want to speak? Somebody

42:30from Helio? I see

42:32No.

42:34Okay.

42:35Mike, you can go next. Sorry.

42:39>> So, we don't do emergency housing, but

42:41we do serve um many regions across the

42:43state including Finger Lakes, here in

42:45the Central New York region, the

42:47Southern Tier, the Capital Region,

42:48Mohawk Valley. So, in 2025 we served

42:52over 20,000 unique individuals, but that

42:54again is across that regional expanse.

42:57Um we

42:59deliver services across the continuum of

43:01care including outpatient services

43:03through our certified community

43:05behavioral health center, through our

43:07opioid treatment programs, um we have a

43:10child and adolescent clinic. We also

43:12have residential programs through OMH

43:14and OASAS.

43:16We have inpatient programs for detox and

43:19inpatient substance use recovery, as

43:22well as a number of in-community

43:24programs, and these are the programs

43:25that mostly serve um

43:27folks that are unhoused um not as a

43:31housing service, but bringing

43:34much needed services to them wherever

43:36they are.

43:37So, we have our Syracuse Crisis

43:40Intervention and Prevention Program,

43:41which is dedicated to the city of

43:42Syracuse. We are responding to

43:45mental health and substance use crisis

43:47calls in addition to doing outreach,

43:50boots on the ground, connecting with

43:52folks who are you know, congregating in

43:55some of these hotspots, Columbus Circle,

43:57the bus hub, things like that. Um just

43:59trying to develop rapport and

44:01relationships to

44:03um get them to a place where maybe

44:05they'll be ready to connect with other

44:06services if they have mental health and

44:09substance use issues. As John stated,

44:11not every homeless individual has a

44:13mental health or a substance use issue

44:14and not everybody with mental health or

44:16substance use has a has a housing

44:18problem.

44:19Um

44:20Uh Scott, if you're you are. Thank you

44:22so much for for coming up here. That was

44:25really courageous.

44:26Um and you you're not invisible.

44:30Right. Definitely not.

44:41I think that

44:44the individual Sorry.

44:46>> You're okay.

44:47>> The individuals in this community that

44:48are struggling with mental health and

44:50substance use issues often times

44:52communicate that they

44:54not only feel invisible. I think I I

44:56actually think that feeling invisible

44:58might be preferable for them to what

45:00they do feel.

45:01Um you know, you were speaking to where

45:04is our humanity gone earlier.

45:06They are still people.

45:08They are somebody's

45:10mother,

45:12father, brother, sister, child,

45:14>> Right.

45:14>> neighbor, friend. They are somebody's

45:16somebody.

45:17And

45:19I think until we understand

45:23mental health and substance use as an

45:26illness,

45:27we're going to struggle to get our

45:28community to treat them that way.

45:31Somebody with COPD would not be expected

45:33to run a marathon in order to obtain or

45:36maintain safe and stable housing.

45:39So, to expect individuals with severe

45:41mental illness or substance use barriers

45:44to

45:45meet a lot of the requirements that are

45:47expected of them to secure or maintain

45:50stable housing

45:52doesn't often times make sense.

45:54Um

45:55having to physically go to a government

45:58building, sign a lot of paperwork. A lot

46:00of these individuals

46:02truly believe that the government is out

46:06to get them, right? When somebody

46:08struggles with a delusional disorder,

46:10their delusions are real to them.

46:12They're not

46:14They're not

46:15intentionally making something up to get

46:18a need met. They truly believe that this

46:20is happening to them. And so to expect

46:21them to walk into a government building

46:24once a week or I'm not sure what the

46:25housing parameters are exactly, but

46:28there are expectations of them that

46:30difficult for them to meet. And as Scott

46:32said, like even just tracking and

46:34maintaining appointments. What are they

46:35doing that on? A lot of them have flip

46:38phones that don't or no phone, right?

46:40That don't have the apps that we all

46:41have the luxury of using.

46:43And so I'm just here to say that we our

46:47community services are there to bring

46:49whatever we can to the folks that are

46:52experiencing

46:53living on the streets

46:55because we can't expect them always to

46:57get to a brick and mortar.

47:00>> I appreciate that. As you know, I work

47:03working currently in a women's shelter

47:04right now myself. So

47:06I think one of the biggest barriers for

47:08people is exactly what you just

47:10stressed.

47:11Is getting the paperwork they might need

47:14to have in place to get the services

47:16that they need. And

47:18so maybe the the government needs to do

47:20a little better job themselves with the

47:22outreach into the community to those

47:23people rather than expecting them to go

47:25to them. I know that might take a little

47:27more work and effort on the government's

47:29part, but I think it would be super

47:31helpful.

47:32Because it is a barrier for a lot of

47:34people. So thank you. And thank you for

47:36the work you guys do, too.

47:38>> Can I ask a question amongst the whole

47:40group? Anybody can answer it. Um

47:44Are a lot of these

47:46folks dually diagnosed?

47:50>> We see at Helio we see a lot of dual

47:52diagnosis, yes.

47:53>> Because I'm transparent about

47:54everything. I have a son that's duly

47:56diagnosed. So, I do

47:59Scott, you're not invisible.

48:01I see you. We see you.

48:03Because I have to see my son every day.

48:05And I know the struggle that he's had.

48:08And I know the struggle as a parent that

48:10I've had. Because you stated that

48:12there's somebody's mother, father, and

48:14child. Mine particularly is my child.

48:18So,

48:18um

48:21I wish we could figure this all out. I

48:23wish that we did have the answers.

48:26Because then that way we would be able

48:29to

48:33not see

48:35so many of us

48:37struggling

48:38with this

48:40addiction and mental health disorder.

48:43So, I just want to say that thank you

48:45for the work that you do.

48:47And Megan, I know you heard me come in

48:50your office a million times

48:52talking about my son. And I appreciate

48:55you for that. And

48:56I just want to let you all know that I

48:58do appreciate you. I do know the work

49:01that you're doing. And we just have to

49:04continue to figure out a way as a

49:06community. I'm not going to say that we

49:09can do that we do better because we're

49:11doing as much as we can at this point.

49:13But we need to

49:15as Counselor Moore said, think about

49:17something creatively.

49:19How we can adjust to this.

49:22Because it's it is getting worse. And

49:24we're seeing it on a more uptake.

49:28And a lot of it does have to do with the

49:30spike that my son and other young people

49:33are are smoking. So, we just have to

49:36figure out a way to tackle this epidemic

49:39because that's what it is.

49:40>> Absolutely. And I will say that on a

49:43state level,

49:44um OMH, the Office of Mental Health, as

49:46well as OASAS, our Office of Addiction

49:48Supports and Services

49:50have begun over the last several years

49:52collaborating much more closely together

49:55to tackle dual diagnosis issues. In

49:57fact, you know, I'm proud to say right

50:00here in Syracuse, we opened New York

50:01State's first intensive crisis

50:02stabilization center. We've been open

50:04for going on 3 years, and this is the

50:06first program that was dually certified

50:08by both OMH and OASAS, not two separate

50:12certifications, but by the same set of

50:14regulations that they wrote together.

50:16And so, um as far as collaboration goes,

50:19we're moving in the right direction. And

50:21to Megan's point earlier, we have the

50:24most collaborative community that I've

50:27ever experienced. And you know, I cover

50:29a lot of different counties and regions

50:31and have worked in other states before,

50:32too. So,

50:34we're doing something right. And I

50:35appreciate all of you coming to the

50:37table to continue to collaborate and

50:39problem-solve.

50:41As far as the spike goes, yes, we have

50:43seen an increase to your question

50:45earlier in

50:46um

50:47some

50:49symptoms that mimic psychosis. And so,

50:51sometimes it's actually even difficult

50:53to ascertain whether or not somebody's

50:55struggling with a serious mental illness

50:57or symptoms of their substance use. So,

51:00it takes a lot of relationship

51:02development and getting to know them

51:04over time to figure out what came first,

51:07the chicken or the egg, right?

51:08>> Can I ask you a quick question? And I

51:10kind of put this out to all the agencies

51:12here doing the work.

51:13Do you believe that a um shelter I I've

51:17identified a property

51:19that's 50,000 square feet. It's for sale

51:21right now.

51:23And um if we followed the model that

51:26they did in Milwaukee, we could put

51:28hundreds and hundreds of pods in there.

51:30You don't just put the pods in there and

51:32say, "Okay, we got a room for you to

51:33stay." And you also put the services

51:35within that building as well. You put

51:37the mental health buildings. I could see

51:39us putting one of the government

51:40agencies in there to help people with

51:42IDs and all the other stuff that people

51:43are lacking in our community. So, I'm

51:45asking you guys, do you think that

51:47something that would work and doable? Is

51:49that something we could push New York

51:51State Governor to help fund for our

51:53community?

51:55Or is that not a good option?

51:58>> I think our current shelters embed a lot

52:00of services into them.

52:03One of the issues is we're in a staffing

52:07crisis.

52:08So, that's a lovely idea.

52:10Um I often times drive by what looked to

52:13be old hotels or abandoned buildings and

52:16start to dream up what we could do with

52:18those spaces.

52:20Staffing them could pose a challenge,

52:22especially if we're not able to pay

52:25people a competitive wage. I mean,

52:27you're talking about licensed and

52:29certified individuals that have gone to

52:31school for many years, have had to do

52:33years of clinical hours to get to where

52:35they are. We need We need to pay them

52:37fairly to do this work. So, I think that

52:40the staffing crisis would contribute to

52:43some barriers around that. I'm not

52:45opposed to that. I don't know how other

52:46people feel, but I'm not opposed to

52:48exploring something like that. Like I

52:50said, I often times envision what we

52:53could do with some of the spaces that

52:56exist around here.

52:57>> Yeah, there's a lot of There's a lot of

52:58Thank you.

52:59Thank you again.

53:09>> [clears throat]

53:09>> Good afternoon. My name is Mike Melara.

53:11I'm executive director of Catholic

53:13Charities. Uh thank you for the

53:15opportunity to be here.

53:16I I know we're running a little bit of

53:18short on time, so quickly, Catholic

53:20Charities, we serve about 17,000 people

53:23a year ranging in age from infants to

53:25senior citizens.

53:26Uh just as an aside, we work with a

53:28large number of refugees and migrants.

53:31Uh so, I appreciate your comments. We

53:33see a lot of people every day that are

53:35living in tremendous fear. So, thank you

53:37for sharing. Um that means a lot to us.

53:41I want to zero in on the work that we do

53:43uh with housing vulnerable and homeless

53:45individuals. Uh

53:47we operate a homeless shelter for men uh

53:50at 1801 Erie Boulevard.

53:53Um we are uh licensed to serve 80

53:55individuals at that facility.

53:58Uh during the winter months, we will

53:59often see more than 80. Uh it gets

54:01closer to 100 and 105. Um one of the

54:05services that we provide at the shelter,

54:07uh we do have a psychiatric nurse

54:09practitioner that's embedded within our

54:11shelter program

54:13uh and that has been extraordinarily

54:14helpful.

54:15Uh I want to assure you that everyone we

54:17serve at the shelter is a resident of

54:20Onondaga County and typically a resident

54:23of the city of Syracuse. If somebody

54:24comes in from out of county, we have

54:27clear instructions from the county about

54:29how to

54:30uh get that person to their county of

54:32origin.

54:33Last thing I'll say about the shelter is

54:35that uh in addition to be 24/7, uh we

54:38also have a shuttle service. Uh we

54:41shuttle people uh from the downtown area

54:44to our shelter. We are about 2 and 1/2

54:46mi away from from downtown.

54:48Uh and you'll see people on the Catholic

54:50Charities shuttle going back and forth

54:52throughout the day.

54:54The The second service I want to focus

54:56in on is uh work that we do in downtown

54:59Syracuse. We have a uh we call it a

55:02hospitality center. You might know it as

55:04a warming center.

55:06Uh the hospitality center is open 7 days

55:09a week uh from 4:00 in the afternoon

55:11till about 8:30 in the morning.

55:14The hospitality center is not a shelter.

55:17There are no beds. Uh there's no three

55:19meals. Uh

55:21it is completely designed for

55:23individuals who are unhoused and at

55:26least at the moment are unwilling to go

55:28to a shelter.

55:30Uh

55:31we uh when we open the hospitality

55:33center, we thought we would might have

55:3510 to maybe 15 people there. Uh

55:39we average closer to 40 to 50 people

55:41every night.

55:43Um these are folks that once they come

55:45to the center, uh

55:47we try to engage them. We try to

55:49encourage them to go to shelter,

55:51particularly if they're they want a

55:52meal, they want a shower, they want

55:54those kinds of things. You can get those

55:56kinds of things in Syracuse, but you

55:58need to go to a shelter, right? Uh so we

56:00try to engage them uh to be able to do

56:03that.

56:03Um

56:05the hospitality center uh

56:08I live by the saying the perfect is the

56:10enemy of the good. I think people will

56:13have some ideas about the hospitality

56:15center, but what I believe to be true

56:17and what I know to be true is

56:19if if we didn't provide that service,

56:21those 40 to 50 individuals would uh

56:24likely be sleeping in more doorways and

56:27and alleyways throughout the city of

56:29Syracuse. Uh

56:31Combined with a hospitality center, we

56:32do have two outreach workers that uh

56:35continue to work and we primarily focus

56:38on downtown Syracuse with that outreach

56:39activity.

56:41Um

56:42those are the the big services that we

56:44provide uh that are shelter-based or

56:47site-based. We also provide all the case

56:49management services to families and

56:52children who are homeless and are now

56:54living in hotels because there's not

56:56sufficient shelter beds in our community

56:59to to house them. And that includes

57:01everything from bringing them two meals

57:03a day uh to making sure that their

57:05children are transported to school every

57:07day. And we're we're right around 70 to

57:1180 families and, you know, over probably

57:15another 70 children or more that are

57:17receiving that service from us.

57:21>> Thank you, Mike.

57:22>> How'd I do? Did I get everything?

57:24>> Mike, if I might.

57:25>> Yes.

57:26>> I um I think everyone in politics deeply

57:29resonates with the idea that perfect is

57:30the enemy of the good.

57:33What I wanted to ask everyone here, and

57:35I'll we'll start with you, is what would

57:37an ideal solution look like?

57:40What additional things do we need right

57:42now? And

57:44as we deal with the mechanics of the

57:46housing market in terms of new housing,

57:49more available housing that accepts

57:51Section 8, housing stability, what do we

57:55what would we need if we were to only

57:58serve in the future the 70 individuals

58:01who don't ever want to come into a

58:04housing situation, and prevent families

58:07who are currently housing insecure in

58:08our school district from becoming

58:11in even more precarious situations?

58:13>> Yeah.

58:15It's an It's an awesome question. I I

58:17want to talk about the 70 or so

58:19individuals that are unhoused. And

58:23And And we've gone on record talking

58:25about this. Uh we're of the belief that

58:29um

58:31a hospitality center that closes at 8

58:358:30 in the morning is is not

58:38sufficient. Uh we're of the belief that

58:41a hospitality center that can be open 24

58:44hours a day, 7 days a week, uh where

58:47there's active engagement with people

58:49who are living on the street, who are

58:51struggling, to get them into that

58:53location, right? To be able to to first

58:56offer them comfort and relief,

58:59and the respect of having a restroom and

59:02coffee and water and not having to go

59:05and and beg for that.

59:07We think that goes a long way to

59:08starting to help somebody in their

59:10recovery around mental health issues.

59:12So, we are of the belief that that that

59:14kind of model uh would be helpful

59:18uh to our community. And I think

59:21it's we do outreach, John does outreach,

59:23we all do outreach. It

59:25In the end, there's limitations to

59:27outreach where you're trying to engage

59:29somebody on the street to

59:31ask them to change their lives, right?

59:33It's it can be really effective, but

59:36they can also be effective if they have

59:37a location to to meet with staff and

59:40talk with staff and begin to do that

59:42work. So, I I'm of the belief that, you

59:45know, the housing crunch is not going to

59:47go away. I think we can continue to work

59:50on it. We can continue to get more

59:52units. That's awesome. But, in the

59:54meantime, we have folks that are on the

59:57street and

59:59we feel pain.

1:00:01I feel pain

1:00:04when I see that, right? When I witness

1:00:06that in our own community.

1:00:08Well, thank you for your question.

1:00:10>> Thank you, Mike.

1:00:11I

1:00:12I'll go ahead and then I want to call

1:00:13the next person.

1:00:15Um

1:00:15Have we

1:00:17I First of all, I I have to say clear, I

1:00:20worked in a shelter for over 5 years and

1:00:23I learned so much about individuals.

1:00:25Reading bios, everyone has a story,

1:00:27right? And some of their stories are

1:00:29just like, you know, they didn't start

1:00:31off this way. Most people weren't born

1:00:34to be this way, right? So, that's the

1:00:35first

1:00:36>> Correct. Yes.

1:00:37>> Um but, have we, you know, we we talk

1:00:39about the downtown in the city of

1:00:41Syracuse. Do we place any other shelters

1:00:44outside of the city to allow people to

1:00:47have shelter to get away from things, to

1:00:50to enjoy the wilderness, to to heal,

1:00:53right? I believe in you know, grounding

1:00:55and trees and stuff. So, do we ever Does

1:00:58anybody other Any of the shelters have

1:01:01any places outside of Syracuse for

1:01:03shelters for that people can get, you

1:01:06know, rehab and and, you know,

1:01:10>> I I I can't speak to the other shelters.

1:01:12I know that we we don't at Catholic

1:01:14Charities. We are

1:01:16much more concentrated

1:01:19in the city of Syracuse. I think for us

1:01:22uh,

1:01:22be able to build a shelter on Erie

1:01:24Boulevard, people thought we were a

1:01:26little

1:01:27you know, wondered if that was going to

1:01:29work cuz it's not part of downtown. It

1:01:31has worked out just fine. Uh, it's been

1:01:33a good model for us, but I can't speak

1:01:36to what the other shelters do about

1:01:38that.

1:01:38>> I say that because it's not a Syracuse

1:01:40city thing. It's a Onondaga County

1:01:43situation and it's going on across the

1:01:46county and it looks like it appears to

1:01:48be everything is locally like in the

1:01:50city. Does anybody else have any answers

1:01:52of is there any

1:01:55huh?

1:01:56Any respite facilities outside the city

1:01:59in [clears throat] areas rural areas

1:02:00where people can just enjoy the trees

1:02:03and ground and just get away from it

1:02:05like because it's not a Syracuse thing.

1:02:06We're we're handling it, but everybody

1:02:09didn't it didn't start off here. It's

1:02:11it's the whole Onondaga County. So, the

1:02:14Come up, please. Come come to the

1:02:16microphone, please.

1:02:17>> Thank you. Sorry.

1:02:20>> When agencies go to apply for funding to

1:02:23open

1:02:24different services,

1:02:26um,

1:02:26you know, one of the questions is how

1:02:28are people going to get there and also,

1:02:31um, how are people who are there going

1:02:33to get to the other services that they

1:02:35need? And so, often times funders are

1:02:36looking for like we're on five different

1:02:39bus lines.

1:02:40Um, we're in walking distance of DSS of

1:02:44um, an outpatient mental health facility

1:02:46of of a of a detox of whatever shelters

1:02:50food banks, etc.

1:02:52And so, I think that, um, one of the

1:02:55reasons why the city has become a hub

1:02:57for this is it's centrally located in

1:02:59the middle of the county, but also

1:03:02the the accessibility

1:03:05to services is such a key

1:03:08to the people who need the services. So,

1:03:10if we were to put a shelter, let's say,

1:03:13I don't I'm geographically challenged,

1:03:15so I'm not even going to try to, But,

1:03:16like, on the outskirts of the the

1:03:19county, how are people going to get

1:03:20there? And then once they are there, how

1:03:22are they going to get back to the other

1:03:23services? Where's the closest food bank?

1:03:25Where's the closest, you know, Samaritan

1:03:27Center where they can go get some lunch

1:03:28or whatever it might be. So, that gets

1:03:30tricky.

1:03:32>> Yeah, I just think we should look at

1:03:33that. We should spread it out because

1:03:35I'm a firm believer um we've we put

1:03:38everything right here, right? And we

1:03:40haven't given a chance to give

1:03:42opportunity cuz people are struggling

1:03:44everywhere. And we're bringing everybody

1:03:45back to one spot. So, that's just my

1:03:47thought process.

1:03:49>> Yeah, I would have add on I appreciate

1:03:51your point and I actually very firmly

1:03:53believe that a lot of those resources

1:03:54can be really healing. The place where

1:03:56we often will find them actually is for

1:03:59you.

1:04:00In a very limited scope, we're going to

1:04:02find some of those respite resources

1:04:03that are out of town mostly for very

1:04:05specific populations. Again, back to

1:04:07funding because they were specifically

1:04:09funded for that purpose. The other thing

1:04:11I'll tag on is in addition to

1:04:13accessibility, one of the other

1:04:14reference points we come up against with

1:04:17grant funding in particular is cost per

1:04:19unit of service. The state runs cost per

1:04:22unit of service calculations for most of

1:04:23our grant applications. So, the reality

1:04:26is that even if I can address all the

1:04:28barriers with housing someone out out of

1:04:30town, I'm building in case management, a

1:04:33vehicle, all the other pieces, the cost

1:04:35balloons

1:04:37per person much higher than if I can

1:04:39serve them in town on a county bus, etc.

1:04:42etc. without transporting them

1:04:43everywhere. And so, even if it's a great

1:04:45idea and it actually solves a problem,

1:04:48the cost per unit of service will be

1:04:49higher and it may very well not be

1:04:50funded.

1:04:52>> Thank you. Um before we go on, I just um

1:04:55was given notice that Jamel from the

1:04:57school district is here. Would you like

1:04:58to come up and speak about how it's

1:05:00affecting the children in school?

1:05:02>> I have a question that was

1:05:04similar to Rashida's and it was for Mike

1:05:06first if possible. Um it could be quick

1:05:10um cuz you you spoke about, um,

1:05:13possible staffing barriers at the

1:05:15warming center. Um, do you guys partner

1:05:18at all with, um, any of the pastoral

1:05:21associations to come in and be those

1:05:25somewhat mentors or, you know,

1:05:27individuals that can just cuz I'm

1:05:30faith-based. So, for someone to just

1:05:33kind of just be there to talk and and I

1:05:36I think that

1:05:38when you have, uh, faith behind some of

1:05:41the, uh, rehabilitation, um, you go a

1:05:44little further. So, are you connecting

1:05:46those?

1:05:47>> We, uh,

1:05:48I I if that's an offer to get connected,

1:05:51I'll take you up on it.

1:05:53>> Not with me, but

1:05:53>> Okay, I'll take you up on that. Thank

1:05:56you.

1:06:05>> Hello. I don't know. Thank you.

1:06:07>> Thank you.

1:06:08>> So, um, what we've seen in the last few

1:06:11years in Syracuse city is definitely an

1:06:14increase in our families experiencing

1:06:16unstable housing.

1:06:18Um, we've seen an increase in

1:06:20unaccompanied youth, which is quite

1:06:22concerning. Um, it seems to grow every

1:06:24year. We probably, um,

1:06:27we're at about a 10%

1:06:29uh, identification rate for our families

1:06:32experiencing this and also our youth.

1:06:35Um, and it really all plays together,

1:06:37right? Because it impacts our attendance

1:06:39to school. We have to, um, determine

1:06:41transportation needs. We have to provide

1:06:44services to help stabilize the family.

1:06:47We work directly with the county, um,

1:06:50and I think we've really done a great

1:06:51job trying to maintain what, um, how

1:06:55we're supporting families, but it's not

1:06:57always enough. Um, the lack of housing,

1:07:01uh,

1:07:01affordable housing,

1:07:03um, it's very difficult for families and

1:07:05going to shelters is very difficult for

1:07:08families because there's a lot of

1:07:09considerations. Sometimes families have

1:07:11to be divided. Uh they don't want to do

1:07:14that. Then they have to live with

1:07:16another family that might take them in

1:07:17and that's also a lot to consider as

1:07:19well because landlord [snorts] they're

1:07:21not on the lease and so families are

1:07:23afraid to take other families in um so

1:07:26they don't lose their housing. Right? So

1:07:28there's all these complexities that come

1:07:31into finding housing and um stabilizing

1:07:35a family's uh current situation.

1:07:37So when we dive into that, um

1:07:41another consideration is all the costs

1:07:44related to being unhoused. Right? So if

1:07:47you're living with another family,

1:07:49you're not going to eat their food nor

1:07:52do you have a place to store food. And

1:07:54so their living costs increase. Um

1:07:58if they do find stable housing, then

1:08:00there's costs related to moving and

1:08:03transferring services. And so these are

1:08:05requests we get all the time for

1:08:07families. How can you help us? How can

1:08:09you support us? Um and and really trying

1:08:12to problem-solve around those things. Um

1:08:16I've also seen an increase in added

1:08:18district

1:08:19um

1:08:20housing. So when a family can't find

1:08:24affordable living arrangements here,

1:08:26which is usually their first choice

1:08:28because they want to maintain their

1:08:30child

1:08:32in our school district,

1:08:33they will

1:08:35maybe get uh an apartment outside of our

1:08:38district. Um

1:08:39and so through the McKinney-Vento laws,

1:08:41we can allow them to maintain coming

1:08:44enrollment into our school, but if that

1:08:46becomes their permanent housing, then

1:08:48our students are now going to another

1:08:51district the following year. Um and so

1:08:53that impacts

1:08:55our overall enrollment as well. And so

1:08:57as this um issue is increasing, it does

1:09:00play a part in how it impacts our city

1:09:03overall. Um in addition, it puts a

1:09:06stress on our transportation needs. As

1:09:08we talked about, there are a lot of

1:09:10staffing shortages with um

1:09:12our shelters and in our community um

1:09:15regarding this, but it's also with our

1:09:18bus drivers. So, um it's not easy to

1:09:22transport a student that's out of

1:09:24district. Um there's a lot of

1:09:25considerations and there's a lot of

1:09:27different school times and there's a lot

1:09:28of different start times um that we have

1:09:32to consider. And so, sometimes we're

1:09:34putting young kids on a bus very early

1:09:36in the morning to get to school that

1:09:38starts 2 to 3 hours later.

1:09:41And then there's laws and regulations we

1:09:43have to follow around that where we

1:09:45can't stop a bus, right? To to give a

1:09:49bathroom break or give breakfast. So, we

1:09:51have young kids on a bus for a long

1:09:54period of time before and after school

1:09:57to be able to get them to school.

1:10:00And so, there it's just not easy as just

1:10:04saying

1:10:06they don't have a place to live, right?

1:10:08It's the impact that that has on their

1:10:10overall daily lives and their

1:10:13for our young children, as we at the

1:10:15district will always represent um how

1:10:18does that impact them in school? They're

1:10:20tired, right? They're hungry.

1:10:22>> Mhm.

1:10:23>> They want breaks. They don't know what

1:10:26their day-to-day arrangements are going

1:10:28to look like and that creates trauma,

1:10:32right? We have an increase in anxiety.

1:10:34We have an increase in mental health

1:10:36challenges.

1:10:39And as they age, it gets more

1:10:41challenging

1:10:42and substance use is becoming

1:10:45an issue,

1:10:47right? So, we're seeing it in our

1:10:49current

1:10:50um adults that are struggling with

1:10:53housing,

1:10:54we're seeing it with our our younger

1:10:56students as well.

1:10:59>> Thank you.

1:11:01>> Um we do have to wrap up, but I want my

1:11:02counselors to have a chance to ask

1:11:04questions before we go.

1:11:05>> Well, I have a um I have something

1:11:08>> A couple more speakers.

1:11:09>> Oh, sorry. A couple more speakers. All

1:11:11right.

1:11:18>> Good afternoon, everyone. My name is

1:11:21Laquita Drummond and I'm homeless.

1:11:24And I've been homeless for almost 2

1:11:26years now.

1:11:29Here in Onondaga County in the Syracuse

1:11:32area, yes, we do have a wealth of

1:11:35resources and things to help people. But

1:11:38see, I don't fall into the three

1:11:40categories that they have for the

1:11:42homeless. You have to have a chronic

1:11:44illness,

1:11:46mental health disorder, or substance

1:11:48abuse.

1:11:50I don't have any of those.

1:11:53Simple thing is getting a bus pass.

1:11:56I get it.

1:11:58But yet, I'm homeless.

1:12:00I've stayed at the warming center. I

1:12:02just left the warming center.

1:12:05And how you described it does not so.

1:12:08You need to come inside and see exactly

1:12:11what it is.

1:12:13Okay? It is a hospitality center, but

1:12:16you all have to rethink.

1:12:19Because people come there that are

1:12:21homeless.

1:12:23They come there. But you sit in a chair.

1:12:27You sit in a chair from 4:00 till 6:00

1:12:30in the morning.

1:12:32Food is provided.

1:12:34But I again, like I said, I stayed there

1:12:36for 4 months

1:12:38sleeping in a chair.

1:12:41And you're not allowed to get another

1:12:44chair to prop your legs up. You sleep in

1:12:47a chair. If you come with bags,

1:12:50at 6:00 a.m., you and your bags have to

1:12:54leave.

1:12:56I can get a job, but I can't go on an

1:12:59interview with bags.

1:13:03Because people already have a stigma

1:13:05about the homeless community anyway.

1:13:09Am I making sense?

1:13:12I'm just asking.

1:13:15Thank you.

1:13:31That is correct.

1:13:34It does something.

1:13:37That is correct.

1:13:45And I'm over here at the rescue mission

1:13:47now.

1:13:49Appreciate the mission.

1:13:51But the mission don't follow their

1:13:52mission statement.

1:13:55They don't.

1:13:56You got signs posted, no drugs and

1:14:00alcohol use on the property.

1:14:02Well, you got to make it make sense to

1:14:04me because see that place ain't nothing

1:14:06but a trap house.

1:14:09That's all it is. It's a trap house.

1:14:11People that are struggling with

1:14:13addiction, that's trying to turn their

1:14:15lives around, they can't because it's

1:14:18everywhere.

1:14:19Staff will tell you, "You can't smoke it

1:14:22in here, but you can smoke it outside."

1:14:26What?

1:14:27Come on. We're supposed to be a helper

1:14:30to one another.

1:14:32And then the rescue mission walk around

1:14:35with a t-shirt that say loving action.

1:14:39We got to put that up and running.

1:14:43They do. And you know, everybody can't

1:14:45work with the homeless community.

1:14:48They can't. If you don't have a love for

1:14:50people, it's not for you.

1:14:52It's just not. And the people at the

1:14:54Rescue Mission as well as at the Warming

1:14:57Center,

1:14:58they don't understand. They're a

1:15:00paycheck away from being right where I'm

1:15:03at.

1:15:04With their attitude.

1:15:07They don't talk to us, they look through

1:15:09us.

1:15:11They feel that they're better than.

1:15:15You don't know everybody's story. You

1:15:18don't know why people are doing drugs.

1:15:20You don't know why. It's some type of

1:15:23past hurt.

1:15:25And they use it as a coping mechanism.

1:15:28They Nobody wakes up and say, "Oh, I

1:15:30want to be homeless.

1:15:32I want to be a drug addict."

1:15:34No.

1:15:35It's a coping mechanism.

1:15:38I just want you all to just understand.

1:15:42See us.

1:15:44See us.

1:15:46See, it just it became back to people's

1:15:48attention

1:15:50because see, they've been hiding. But

1:15:52now, they're laying on Salina Street.

1:15:55Not a good look

1:15:56for the Salt City Market and the

1:15:58library. Not a good look.

1:16:00You go over here on Jefferson, you see

1:16:03them. Over here at Columbus Circle.

1:16:06Not a good look. When President Trump

1:16:08came, the Warming Center had all of us

1:16:11to stay inside.

1:16:14Not a good look.

1:16:16Mhm.

1:16:19You can't address the problem if you

1:16:21keep hiding it.

1:16:23It is what it is.

1:16:27We just got to do better.

1:16:30What you say?

1:16:32>> I say, "Laquitta, you got a lot of

1:16:34wisdom."

1:16:34>> Mhm. We got to do better.

1:16:38>> Thank you. Thank you. Okay, one more and

1:16:40then I'm going to let the counselors

1:16:42finish up with the quick questions.

1:16:43>> And you. Thank you, ma'am.

1:16:46Thank you, Lakita.

1:16:49>> Yeah, good afternoon everybody.

1:16:51My name My name is My name is Mohamed

1:16:52Cham.

1:16:53And

1:16:55I really didn't want to speak. I just

1:16:56wanted to listen because part of my job

1:16:59not only as a community advocate and

1:17:01organizer of Central New York is meeting

1:17:04people where they are.

1:17:05And then listen carefully what are the

1:17:07concern.

1:17:09And homelessness to me is something that

1:17:11is

1:17:12really dear to me as somebody who was

1:17:15born and raised in Senegal. My mom, when

1:17:17I was pretty much 5 years or 6 years

1:17:19old,

1:17:20our house got in fire and basically we

1:17:23were a little bit, you know, out of the

1:17:25range for quite a while.

1:17:27So, when I get a chance to come to

1:17:28Syracuse to do my education, get my

1:17:31masters at Syracuse University,

1:17:33and part of my mission was how can I be

1:17:36able to travel

1:17:37across this community not only the city

1:17:39of Syracuse but also like the whole

1:17:41Onondaga County. And homelessness is not

1:17:44something that is pretty much new

1:17:45because I feel like the reason why now

1:17:47we have all this attention is because

1:17:50some of the places that homeless people

1:17:52have been staying in, whether close to

1:17:54the I-81 construction places or even at

1:17:56the inner harbor where they were just

1:17:58hiding with encampment,

1:18:00are the places that right now we are

1:18:01trying to develop and as a consequence

1:18:03now you can see all these people now

1:18:05coming back at the core urban core in

1:18:08downtown area.

1:18:09And to me

1:18:11I I I'm a Muslim but I do believe what

1:18:13the what the Bible say. These These are

1:18:16our brothers and our sisters. So, I

1:18:18understand that the notion of of this of

1:18:20this country is self-government, the

1:18:22ability for people to do for themselves.

1:18:24But if somebody cannot be able to reach

1:18:26that aspect, I feel like it is

1:18:28appropriate not only for government but

1:18:30also all stakeholders in our system to

1:18:33be able to be part of the solution. And

1:18:34the reason why I want to speak is

1:18:35because I want to be part of the

1:18:36solution, and some of the solution that

1:18:38I see, cuz I do a lot of research

1:18:40basically, the city of Denver, they have

1:18:42a model about how to deal with uh

1:18:44homelessness. I can be able to provide

1:18:46the articles to you, Don, or more

1:18:48uh once this conversation is uh what

1:18:49once this meeting is done. But also, I

1:18:51feel like there should be a a a uh a

1:18:54collaboration between the city and the

1:18:55county.

1:18:56As you know, basically, the county

1:18:58social services has a lot to do when it

1:19:00comes to addressing this problem. But at

1:19:02the same time, too, they need to work

1:19:03with the city because I feel like

1:19:04sometimes

1:19:05we are working in silos. You can have

1:19:07shelters, you can have rehab, but at the

1:19:10end of the day, you have to have a

1:19:11consensus working around between the

1:19:14county and the city,

1:19:15the shelters, and also the social

1:19:17services, and the rehab making sure that

1:19:20we can be able to uh handle these

1:19:22issues. And the other point I would like

1:19:23to make, one of the biggest

1:19:25anti-homeless program is a job. I I'm

1:19:27I'm for uh housing people temporary for

1:19:31shelter, but there should be a pathway

1:19:33for them to move from that shelter to a

1:19:35to to to another place. And the only way

1:19:37they can get to that point is making

1:19:39sure they can get a job. Because when

1:19:40someone get a job, not only you're going

1:19:42to have income, but you're going to have

1:19:43a sense of dignity, a sense of

1:19:45visibility within your own community.

1:19:47So, I feel like sometimes all this

1:19:49conversation is great, but I feel like

1:19:51it's not going to be either/or

1:19:52conversation, but it has to be both and

1:19:54and and and conversation. Which mean

1:19:57number one, how we can make sure that

1:19:58people have a place to stay temporary,

1:20:00but also how we can make sure they are

1:20:02not reliant on the services because if

1:20:04somebody depend on social social

1:20:05services, basically,

1:20:06and then like making $300 just try to um

1:20:09live up with the expectation, it's not

1:20:11going to happen. So, I do think it is a

1:20:13moral obligation not only for the city,

1:20:15for the county, for everybody who are

1:20:17here to have a consensus. It can be a a

1:20:20pilot program or even a round table

1:20:21discussion thinking about strategically

1:20:23what are we going to do to address this

1:20:25issue. Thank you.

1:20:26>> Thank you.

1:20:28>> All right.

1:20:28>> Turn on this.

1:20:29>> All right. So, I am

1:20:31I just wanted say because we've

1:20:34what we've heard

1:20:36throughout the meeting is concerning

1:20:38housing and a lot of affordable housing.

1:20:41>> Mhm.

1:20:42>> I'm of the

1:20:45group that when I was raised, I was told

1:20:47to say what you mean and mean what you

1:20:49say.

1:20:51>> Mhm.

1:20:51>> We have affordable housing a

1:20:54you know

1:20:55according to the community for concerns.

1:20:58Um where they address distressed

1:21:01neighborhoods, they allow people to

1:21:03build affordable housing. We need to go

1:21:05back to the model of having low-income

1:21:08housing and not having that word as

1:21:10being shameful.

1:21:12>> Mhm.

1:21:12>> Low-income housing addresses what the

1:21:15need is, not affordable housing. So,

1:21:18affordable housing the threshold is set

1:21:20at 70 and 80%. Low-income housing

1:21:22thresholds are set at 30 to 50%. We need

1:21:25to go back to that model and that's what

1:21:27needs to be stressed.

1:21:29>> Thank you, Mr.

1:21:30>> And I will second that.

1:21:32Um

1:21:33one of the things that I have watched a

1:21:34part of this community since I've been a

1:21:36young child uh we've changed far as

1:21:39taking away affordable and low-income

1:21:41housing. It started off with Cherry

1:21:43Hill, hundreds of people lived there,

1:21:45right? When they started knocking down

1:21:47and taking that away, we have

1:21:49um St. Vincent gone, we have Valentine

1:21:51gone. So, a lot of we have lost a lot of

1:21:54housing in our neighborhoods where

1:21:56people were housed that were affordable

1:21:58housing, low-income housing. And we

1:22:00haven't replaced them. So, this is where

1:22:02we are. We have families that are

1:22:03misplaced. So, it it is a homeless

1:22:05issue, but it's more of a housing issue

1:22:08that we have to get out and talk about

1:22:10and figure out how we can get dollars

1:22:12for federal funded dollars to support

1:22:14families to be able to have low-income

1:22:17housing and affordable housing so they

1:22:18can be able to We took away and we

1:22:21didn't put it back.

1:22:22>> We took away government housing and we

1:22:24went to low-income housing. We took away

1:22:26low-income housing, went to affordable

1:22:27housing. Every time we replace the

1:22:29wording or the funding, it the threshold

1:22:33also moves higher and higher. So, the

1:22:36thought process behind

1:22:38means say what we mean when we're

1:22:40talking to different people, um cuz we

1:22:43have a lot of residents who say, "I need

1:22:44affordable housing. I need affordable

1:22:46housing." And people went and built

1:22:48affordable housing. So, it's not

1:22:51affordable to them.

1:22:52>> And to piggyback on Councilwoman

1:22:54Caldwell, when you talk about Valentine

1:22:56Garden, that used to be low income. Now

1:22:59they renovated it, and they're asking

1:23:02for $1,300 and up on Valentine Road.

1:23:06Okay, that's crazy.

1:23:08>> Yeah, they took away Cherry Hill, and we

1:23:10still we never got a replacement, right?

1:23:12So, you know, um Housing Vision did

1:23:15build, but they didn't maximize the same

1:23:17as that. So, we we have we have some

1:23:20deep diving we have to do as a

1:23:21community. I think this community is

1:23:22very strong, some great service

1:23:24providers, um some difficult

1:23:26conversations happen, but that's how

1:23:28things change.

1:23:29Um but homelessness um

1:23:31and these babies that are in the

1:23:33community, families that are in

1:23:34community, we have to create opportunity

1:23:37for families to have housing,

1:23:39good housing,

1:23:41lead-free housing, housing that they can

1:23:44live and raise families and understand

1:23:46that. And that's about being a

1:23:47community, so um it's the housing piece.

1:23:50Yes.

1:23:52>> Thank you.

1:23:54Anybody else?

1:23:54>> I just want to add uh

1:23:56for my sister who came up and Scott who

1:23:59shared a little bit,

1:24:01um they're always the missing link in

1:24:03regards to we could talk all day long

1:24:06about what we think is good for them,

1:24:09and but not asking them what they think

1:24:12they need, right? I can think I know

1:24:14what you want, but I need to you listen

1:24:17to what you tell me you need, right? So,

1:24:19we could build whatever we want to try

1:24:21to think we're meeting them like I do

1:24:23this for 15 years. I work with folks

1:24:25every day. But I always ask them, "What

1:24:27is it that you need?"

1:24:29Right? What is it that you need right

1:24:30now? And then I'll help you down that

1:24:32road. So, I think that to make sure

1:24:35maybe

1:24:36moving forward that we have that voice.

1:24:38Like that's why I have a staff or on

1:24:40staff who has a lived experience.

1:24:43Brother died in homelessness. Helen has

1:24:45a son that's expe- She's She's Yeah.

1:24:48>> Yeah, she's living there, right? So,

1:24:50they understand the the situation. I

1:24:53think the great thing about this room

1:24:55is we all might have different

1:24:57approaches about what we think how we

1:24:59need to handle it, but we all have the

1:25:00same heartbeat.

1:25:01>> Mhm.

1:25:02>> Right? We're all on the same team. We

1:25:05just have different ways of doing it and

1:25:06I think you setting this up, you're

1:25:08getting to learn more about what's

1:25:09happening out there. I have a wonderful

1:25:12working relationship with Ty. She's on

1:25:13my speed dial. Like if someone with

1:25:16mental health, I'm calling her. You know

1:25:17what I mean? With the hospitality

1:25:20center, our team, Jessie Butts who works

1:25:22for Catholic Charities, reached out to

1:25:23us when they opened it

1:25:25to say, "Would you come down here to be

1:25:27part of this process?" So, we've

1:25:29embedded ourselves there uh for an hour

1:25:31every Wednesday. We first referring

1:25:33people to go there. If you're not going

1:25:35to go to the shelter, at least go there.

1:25:37And if you go there, we're going to meet

1:25:39you there and we're going to try to help

1:25:40you. That's where my sister there I

1:25:42think met with our team members there.

1:25:44So, we're What's your first name?

1:25:48>> LaQuita.

1:25:48>> So, you know, I I appreciate Mike

1:25:51allowing other organizations to come in

1:25:54to help them do what they're doing

1:25:56there. So, I think what I'm trying to

1:25:57say is also

1:25:59is that's the quality of service.

1:26:04We have a big quantity number that we're

1:26:06trying to touch, but it's the quality of

1:26:08care that we have to really make sure

1:26:11that we focus on that idea that you have

1:26:13about a building and I seen that

1:26:14article, too. But you know what the

1:26:16missing link that we you have to think

1:26:18about is how do you keep those people

1:26:19safe?

1:26:21>> Right.

1:26:21>> How do you not have that skyline happen

1:26:23again? Right? So, there's a lot of

1:26:26moving pieces that need to be flushed

1:26:28out, but I want to say that I appreciate

1:26:30all of you for wanting even hold this. I

1:26:33appreciate everyone that's sitting here

1:26:35that has the heart to want to do it.

1:26:36We're all on the same team.

1:26:38And we are doing good work, and I

1:26:39appreciate you, sister, about the faith

1:26:41part of it. I'm a faith-based

1:26:43organization, and I know when you add

1:26:45the the faith part of that journey,

1:26:47things start to happen. So, you could

1:26:49deal with the mind, you could deal with

1:26:50the body, but when you don't deal with

1:26:51your spirit person, there's a missing

1:26:53link. When you add all three components,

1:26:55something starts to happen. So, I

1:26:57appreciate all of you. Thank you.

1:26:58>> Thank you. Um before I close, I just

1:27:00want to say I was at a meeting last

1:27:02night um on the north side talking about

1:27:04housing over there.

1:27:05And Nicole from the county ledge was

1:27:08there and offered to have the county and

1:27:10the city the county ledge and the city

1:27:12council

1:27:14start working together on some of these

1:27:15issues. And I'm I think that's what's

1:27:18going to happen going forward because

1:27:20the city cannot solve all these

1:27:21problems.

1:27:23>> You need federal dollars.

1:27:24>> We need federal money to do this. So, I

1:27:25think if the city and the county can get

1:27:27together on this, we can start to make

1:27:29some movement, and I appreciate the

1:27:31input from the people here today, and

1:27:33we'll continue to reach out to you for

1:27:35your input as well as people like Lakita

1:27:38and Scott.

1:27:41We would love you to be part of those

1:27:42conversations to help us figure out how

1:27:44do we change this going forward for our

1:27:49All right, for our residents because

1:27:51it's important that we do that. So.

1:27:58They they I there was supposed to be a

1:28:00representative here from the Rescue

1:28:01Mission. I don't know why they didn't

1:28:02come, but um I do have a meeting with

1:28:06They are. I have a meeting with the

1:28:07director next week. [clears throat]

1:28:10I don't know.

1:28:11They were supposed to come. They They

1:28:12did respond that somebody was coming.

1:28:18Okay, the housing meeting on 16th. Okay.

1:28:21There is a meeting on the 16th around

1:28:23housing. So.

1:28:32>> Who Who Who's not here?

1:28:33>> Connie.

1:28:34>> Connie's sitting right there.

1:28:36Yes, you are.

1:28:41>> You got to go to the front. [laughter]

1:28:43>> Let me put you on the spot.

1:28:44>> I'm the deputy director of community

1:28:46development in Onondaga County. We're

1:28:47not the Department of Social Services.

1:28:49We don't get the majority of funding for

1:28:52the majority of the

1:28:53stuff that you're talking about, but we

1:28:55do get some funding to fund the Rescue

1:28:58Mission, Catholic Charities, and some of

1:29:00the other projects, but we get $175,000

1:29:04a year.

1:29:04>> [laughter]

1:29:05>> That's how much money we get from the

1:29:07federal government, from the county.

1:29:09Because it's a It's

1:29:12formula funding. The city's awarded

1:29:14funding and the county's awarded

1:29:15funding, so I'm not really the person

1:29:17I'm here to listen.

1:29:20>> But so who is the person who oversees

1:29:22the mental health um

1:29:24>> Well, Anne Rooney is the deputy

1:29:26>> Oh, Anne.

1:29:26>> Yeah.

1:29:27>> Oh, okay.

1:29:28>> She'll be at the meeting on the 16th, I

1:29:29believe.

1:29:30>> Okay.

1:29:30>> So, um you know, I want to look at this

1:29:32as a start of a dialogue with you guys

1:29:34with the council. I know you're speaking

1:29:36to representatives from the city, and

1:29:38that's great, but I think the council

1:29:39wants to also know what's going on and

1:29:42be an active part. I'm I'm not speaking

1:29:44for all my councilors here, but I do

1:29:46anyway, and I'm sure my other councilors

1:29:48do. Um to know what's going on, stay in

1:29:50touch with all of you, to figure out how

1:29:52do we keep moving forward. And I do

1:29:55agree with the issue that it really is

1:29:57about low-income housing. Because when I

1:29:59look at all the new housing that's being

1:30:01built up, and we have a requirement that

1:30:035% has to be affordable, it is not It is

1:30:07not low income It's not for low income

1:30:09people cuz I couldn't afford it. I'll be

1:30:11honest with you. So,

1:30:13you know, I There is

1:30:15I know. It's an issue that we need to

1:30:17really address. So, I just want to thank

1:30:19you guys all again for taking your time

1:30:20today. It was very informative and I

1:30:22appreciate it.

1:30:24>> Thank you. Thank you.

1:30:25>> Thank you. Meeting adjourned.

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