The forum on homelessness hosted last month by the Amherst Housing and Sheltering Committee offered a common theme: Our community is being challenged by our “homelessness crisis” and needs a permanent housing solution, not another Band-Aid.
In 2010, Amherst had 19 chronically homeless individuals — defined as those who have a disabling condition and have been homeless for a year or more. That number has only risen. It may well have doubled. Tensions were high at the meeting, but when Hwei-Ling Greeney of Amherst Community Connections took the microphone, she presented a solution.
In 2008, elected and appointed municipal officials along with representatives from nonprofit organizations across the Pioneer Valley came together to support a solution to the Valley’s chronic homeless population.
After over a year of meetings, officials produced the report “All Roads Lead Home: The Pioneer Valley’s Plan to End Homelessness.”
It detailed a vision to create 520 units of permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals.
Springfield stepped up to the plate and committed to producing 260 units. Gerry McCafferty, director of Springfield’s Office of Housing, says that so far, Springfield has achieved its housing goal and the number of chronically homeless people on the street has decreased. Where is Amherst’s contribution to this initiative? Amherst has only two housing units for homeless individuals, at Olympia Oaks, and these units are not permanently allocated.
This means that after the current homeless tenants move out, the units are reverted back to affordable housing for non-homeless residents.
In 2010, a feasibility report looked into contributing housing units for use by the town’s chronically homeless population.
That report outlines how to make permanent supportive housing possible in Amherst — it covers everything from where the units should be located to how to support the people who will live in them. We already have a blueprint in hand.
So what are we waiting for?
The Amherst Community Connections program believes that housing is the answer to helping people who are homeless get back on their feet and build the lives they deserve.
Time and time again, the numbers prove that “housing first” initiatives, with support systems in place, are better equipped (and a cheaper option for taxpayers) to help homeless individuals than a shelter alone.
In “All Roads Lead Home,” the numbers suggested that out of 10 chronically homeless individuals in Springfield, the average cost per person in emergency system expenses (emergency room visits, jail time, detox) per year was $100,000.
An option that costs the town about $84,000 less per person, per year, is these permanent supportive housing units, which would cost the town $16,000 per person per year.
Amherst has the resources to help get our chronically homeless populations off the streets and into permanent housing.
The July 14 forum in Amherst showed that we have the support of the community as well, as permanent supportive housing was consistently mentioned as the best solution from many.
Greeney received a large round of applause after speaking about this “housing first” initiative, and an even bigger round of applause when she insisted that Amherst needs to make a commitment to a portion of the 520 units that the Valley promised eight years ago in “All Roads Lead Home.”
The Amherst Community Connections program believes that with all things considered, committing to between 20 and 40 units would be a good start for Amherst.
Our community has the resources to get this project moving. Now it’s up to the people of Amherst to be active in achieving these goals.
Abra Lipton edits the monthly newsletter produced by Amherst Community Connections, where she is an intern.