WSKG on housing and homelessness

 

WSKG: How would you address housing demand vs. supply in Chemung County and Legislative District 5? What are ways the state and county can serve vulnerable populations affected by homelessness and unscrupulous landlords?

A: I would like to see Elmira without a homeless problem, but passing laws against being homeless does not solve the problem. If homelessness is to be resolved, it will require everybody working together, in the same direction to deal with the wide variety of causes. Providing shelter is only one piece of the puzzle. Mental health, addiction, the costs of health care and a lack of opportunities are other factors. In some cases, the person being helped may not be ready to be in housing. They need to learn the skills and outlook that will keep them sheltered. Some cases will be more intractable than others. We may not be able to save everyone, but we will save more if we try. As a journalist, I have interviewed many homeless/former homeless and lived on the streets to see what it was like. Some observations:

• Many homeless try their best to not be noticed. For example, they live out of their car in a parking lot, moving along before drawing attention to themselves, dressing as well as possible so that they don’t look unsheltered. The problem may be bigger than you can imagine.

• They may have a car, even a nice-looking car, but it is their last possession and you cannot judge their situation based on how good the car looks. 

• Many people may be only a paycheck or a health or financial crisis away from becoming homeless. I am glad that Chemung County has a program to help people before they become homeless. 

As to unscrupulous landlords, I think that absentee landlords are a big part of the problem, and local ordinances requiring them or a representative to be onsite would help. But that may be something handled at the city or town level. 

Ultimately, turning around the county’s financial struggles and creating jobs would be the answer. So, all of these issues are tied together. The solutions will not be easy. Elmira and Chemung County need to do what many people have had to do to survive. That is to reinvent themselves, find new strengths and create new opportunities.