As the city considers finalizing the purchase of the former First Baptist Church for the Resilience Hub, I wanted to suggest several questions that should be explored before making a final decision. Primarily my questions relate to the funds expended for this facility versus the needed homeless and disaster services. This was a question we struggled with before my retirement when I was the associate executive director at both Way Finders and before that at ServiceNet, and as a member of the Housing Partnership.
• While some sort of facility is needed, is it necessary to spend $3.3 million plus renovation and yearly maintenance costs ? What exactly are the building needs of the target population requiring this huge expenditure, and to what extent will this jeopardize the yearly service-related costs which to me are of even more importance?
• Given the increase in homelessness in our city, are there sufficient funds now and in the future to support the aggressive outreach, housing, case management, mental health, and other needed services to address their critical needs?
• What specific services are Community Action of Pioneer Valley, the Hub contracted agency, providing now and do they have sufficient funds to address the homeless? Do they really provide aggressive outreach that includes sending staff on a regular basis to engage the homeless in the woods, on our street corners, etc. to try to find housing? Do they employ a Housing Navigator specialist as recommended by the Housing Partnership whose primary job is to stay current on the ever changing available housing subsidies, to provide financial incentives and supportive relationships with area landlords to house these difficult to place people, and to provide training and educational materials to local agency case managers relating to overcoming other housing barriers such as an eviction history, poor credit, criminal and/or drug and/or mental illness history ?
• In regards to the secondary purpose of the Hub to serve as a cooling center or winter power outage facility, couldn’t the city continue to use the city’s schools as they have done in the past which could reduce the needed size of the Hub? In summary, will this huge facility expenditure limit the city’s future ability to provide the heart and soul of needed essential services? A Hub without sufficient permanent re-housing services is just a building without resilience.
As our representatives, I trust the mayor and city councilors will do everything they can to ensure the right services are funded now and in the future, as well as whatever rightsized and right priced building is really needed.
Jim Reis
Northampton