Now that it’s clear that the renovation and operation of Northampton’s Resilience Hub faces serious problems to fulfill its mission, I hope the incoming City Council, with many new members, will collaborate with the mayor to reevaluate this plan. Putting aside that the city overpaid for this building, lost federal support with the prospect of future funding extremely unlikely, it will take hundreds of thousands of dollars to fully renovate the Hub.
Most importantly, does such a facility meet the most critical need to address the growing homelessness and mental health challenges facing our citizens? There are several existing shelters in the area, and in the past the schools have served as a temporary location for climate-related disasters. Also, there are several non-profit organizations with offices in the city that offer quality housing and mental health services.
A reevaluation should include an assessment of the gaps in service and funding not presently provided by state or federal government. Some potential areas to examine include the following: Is it more cost effective to utilize existing non-profit service organizations with experienced staff (e.g. Manna Community Kitchen, ServiceNet, CSO, etc.)? Is more frequent outreach to homeless people in the woods and on the street needed? What are the eligibility gaps in re-housing support (first, last, and security deposit) that need to be addressed? Can the city, as it has in the past, play a coordination role to ensure needed agency collaboration? What are the remaining barriers or needed support for non-profit or for-profit organizations to build more affordable housing? This reevaluation should also include the related services provided by city’s Division of Community Care whose funding I presume is also likely to expire in the next year or so.
Jim Reis, former associate executive director at ServiceNet and Way Finders, and former member of the Northampton’s Housing Partnership
Northampton