We’re lucky that, so far, it’s been a pretty mild winter.
Late last year it was discovered that two Code Blue shelters in Jamestown that opened in the winter of 2022-23 wouldn’t be opening for this winter. Then, earlier this week, The Post-Journal reported on the unexpected closure of the UCAN City Mission after its boiler system failed and asbestos was found in the building.
Kudos to the members of the Joy Fellowship Church, which housed one of the shelters last year, for allowing UCAN officials to use its building on the cold nights where there otherwise would be nowhere to go for those served by the UCAN mission while its building issues are repaired.
Let this year be a warning sign, then, that we must have a true coordinated effort once again to find ways to care for the homeless population. The problem isn’t as visible as it was in the summer of 2023, when former Mayor Eddie Sundquist and local social services and charitable organizations were spurred to action. But we know it’s still there. We know the housing market is still difficult for many to manage, with rent increasing faster than most people’s paychecks and bills, while increasing at a slower rate than in the past two years, still going up too.
County officials have signaled they want to move toward transitional housing instead of using hotels. But the difficulty in opening either Code Blue shelters for this winter or to keep the UCAN City Mission functioning is emblematic of the difficulty the county will have in making the transition from hotels to house the temporary homeless toward expanded shelters that help get the homeless back on their feet by connecting them with services that can help.
Things went easily last winter. Then churches found out how difficult it is to be a cold weather shelter. UCAN has functioned since 2017 as a cold weather shelter that tries to help get homeless men back on their feet. That task is difficult and costly. After the successes of last year and the challenges of this year, it’s time for everyone concerned about the homeless in southern Chautauqua County to regroup, refocus and re energize.
It’s been a mild winter – and a sobering one, too.
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It’s Time For Those Concerned With The Homeless To Regroup, Refocus
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03.02.2024
We’re lucky that, so far, it’s been a pretty mild winter.
Late last year it was discovered that two Code Blue shelters in Jamestown that opened in the winter of 2022-23 wouldn’t be opening for this winter. Then, earlier this week, The Post-Journal reported on the unexpected closure of the UCAN City Mission after its boiler system failed and asbestos was found in the building.
Kudos to the members of the Joy Fellowship Church, which housed one of the shelters last year, for allowing UCAN officials to use its building on the cold nights where........
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