Caring for the homeless in Clinton Co.

PLATTSBURGH | Clinton County is seeing a significant rise in the homeless population. The numbers reached near 300 in 2024, an increase of 84 percent from 2023. All are from the local area. And some, officials said, about a handful of people, are living without shelter by choice. Christine Peters, Clinton County Social Services commissioner, shared hard data from their ongoing homeless support and case management programs. She spoke at a news conference coordinated by John Bernardi, CEO of the United Way of the Adirondack Region, on Jan. 22. The 2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) homeless count was in process as a group of hands-on agency leaders answered questions. Point-in-Time numbers at this time last year (Jan. 2024) showed an 84 percent increase in homelessness in Clinton County over 2023. "The PIT count in 2024 was 289 homeless people that were sheltered, no unsheltered," Peters said. "That was up from 157 in 2023. This year I know we are going to find unsheltered individuals outside. We know that, we've seen them." It is important for people in the community to know that all homeless people here are from a 129- zip code, Peters said. "This is not a migrant population. These are people from this region." Code Blue emergency housing funding here is allocated at $380,000 per year for hotel and motel accommodations. But those costs are going up. Of the 783 calls for help last year, Peters said, 12 came from migrant individuals seeking help. That's about 0.015 percent. What is increasing is the number of people who are homeless and living with mental health disorders and/or addiction illness. "Last year, the count revealed that the homeless population was up in SMI, which is Seriously Mentally Ill individuals; SUD -- Substance Use Disordered individuals; and unaccompanied youth," Peters said. "I believe we will see the same today, only in higher numbers. "But what people should know is that these people are from 129- zip codes. These are our residents. These are not a migrant population," Peters said. "The migrant population has not made a significant increase in our unsheltered or sheltered homeless population." Contrary to hearsay, the wooded area off Route 3 behind a row of restaurants, does not have a large homeless encampment. County outreach has found, at most, six people sheltered there. By necessity, they relocate to other areas. A group of people who stayed there for a time chose to live outdoors. The only way to provide consistent, routine support is through the people who work with homeless individuals every day. Amanda Haley-Beaudette is executive director of ETC Housing Corporation, a non-profit homeless outreach and case management program founded here in 1989. The PIT count, she said, is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which provides funding for their work. The headcount is done across the United States over a 10-day period at the end of January. In Clinton County, it is completed in one day. Of the 289 homeless persons in this region last year, 14 were households with children, Beaudette said. As to race and ethnicity, 245 of the people homeless in Clinton County last year were white, about 85 percent of the population; 24 individuals identified as Black or African American. The age group with largest homeless population in 2024 were between ages 35 to 44, a total of 97 people. The second largest age group among the homeless were ages 25 to 34, a total of 82 people. Males represented 53.3 percent of the homeless; 46.4 percent were female and 0.3 percent were transgendered. Some of the homeless people here have jobs. ACTION STEPS "What are we doing?" Peters said. "We started a steering committee around homelessness. There are many partners involved, Amanda (ETC) is one of them. The United Way (Bernardi), NAMI, JCEO (Nicole Laurin, CEO), the Plattsburgh Public Housing Authority, BHSN, all great partners. We have been trying to increase awareness. "We need to commit our entire community to a comprehensive strategy," Peters said. One part of that strategy is to increase funding for housing opportunity and prevent people and families from becoming homeless. "We need addiction prevention funds. We need a higher shelter allowance ... that has not changed in 12 years," Peters said. "And we all know in the past four years that the cost of housing has increased exponentially." Funding for supportive housing is critical, she said. WARMING SHELTER IN CLINTON CO. The county is strengthening partnerships between agencies, Peters said. And one of the first results will be official in a few weeks with the opening of a warming shelter for 12 to 14 people at a time. The 24-hour shelter will be on the MHAB campus, providing a place for unhoused persons to get in out of the cold, have something to eat and do laundry. Services available will include access to the many resources available in Clinton County and provision for transportation. The collaboration is important, Peters said. "ETC can't do it alone. Department of Social Services can't do it alone. The county can't do it alone. The town can't do it alone. We have to be in this together. "People need to know that the homeless population is our population and that there are things we can do to help." Many in Plattsburgh have raised concerns via social media and launched individual, one-off campaigns for outreach. Singular efforts are not always helpful because they can push the transient population away and further from resources with long-term solutions. "What we want to encourage is for people to reach out to the agencies and individuals that are familiar with helping these folks. Leaving food or things that aren't necessarily tailored to living outside, that's not helpful," Peters said. "What we would like people to do is to come to the helping agencies so we can direct the help that is meaningful to this population." MORE HOUSING Some homeless persons are employed, but for one reason or another, either due to family loss, domestic violence or unforeseen circumstances, have no place to live. Peters said the county has to continue to press forward to develop affordable housing. Supervisor Michael Cashman is creating housing opportunity in the Town of Plattsburgh, Peters said. "He is leading in this, and I think our county can lead the charge in affordable housing. We need housing at every level." At the news conference, Cashman said concern for homelessness has to be viewed through a wider lens, it is a complex situation. And though their Town Council opened a public discussion about homelessness recently, no one in attendance spoke up. "It's important to know that this transcends municipal borders. People find themselves where they can lay their head down in as safe a place as possible that night. Sometimes people are moving around. We need to destigmatize this," Cashman said. "In the last 10 years, the Town of Plattsburgh has worked with various agencies to onboard three affordable housing projects in the town." But there is a 4,000 housing unit deficit in Clinton County, he said. Affordable housing is not just for people living with social services support. "We need housing of all forms and fashion," he said. PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS The ALICE Fund at the United Way of the Adirondacks targets resources for homeless supports, said United Way Executive Director John Bernardi. People compelled to help can make donations specifically for the ALICE Fund. That way, money is available to the many organizations who do the work every day. NAMI, JCEO, ETC are all partner agencies. Eviction prevention works, Bernardi said, by offering a hand up to people struggling to pay the rent and falling short. Resources can be coordinated through the Joint Council for Economic Opportunity (JCEO), which has centers in nearly every town in Clinton County. Nicole Laurin, executive director at JCEO, encouraged people falling behind on rent to seek help and not wait until the amount is in the thousands of dollars and beyond their agency's reach. Funding is available for utility payments, along with food and clothing and other necessities. ...................................................... HELP TO HALT HOMELESSNESS At ETC, Beaudette said the Point-in-Time count Jan. 22 was conducted by 11 staff and volunteers, including personnel from NAMI and the Veterans Association. They were out, visiting vacant buildings, parking lots and vehicles, known encampments and checking businesses that are open 24 hours a day. She said a handful of homeless people choose to live outside, but have been provided with contact numbers and help for any time they want it. "We have been able since October to get some of them inside," Beaudette said. "Our goal is to offer support services and to try to get them sheltered." ETC Housing is also asking the public to contact them if they have information about a person or persons experiencing homelessness. Anyone aware of a person living unsheltered in Clinton County can contact ETC at 518-563-2223 ext. 7143. Callers do not need to give their name and are assured that there will be no negative consequences for the homeless person because of their report. The goal is to reach people experiencing homelessness and link them to shelter and support options.

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