A reader alerted Gossips to the fact that the Galvan Initiatives Foundation has a blog. An entry entitled "Initiative to help the Homeless," posted yesterday, responds to the news reported by Gossips and the Register-Star that the HAVE building on Power Avenue is being considered as a possible site for transitional housing. The post defines the foundation's role in the proposed plan--they would acquire and renovate the building and lease it to a service provider--and indicates the population that would be housed there--single, homeless adults.
The blog also provides this information about the foundation: "Founded by T. Eric Galloway and Henry Van Amerigen [sic], the Galvan Initiatives Foundation, Inc. started operation in January 2012. The mission is to promote the quality of life in Hudson by conserving and maintaining buildings of architectural, historic, and social significance. The Foundation will also operate a grant-making program and will provide financial support to charitable organizations operating in Hudson."
Apparently prevention of homelessness in Columbia County is not working and the County now intends to manage homelessness -- meaning, it is here to stay. It means status quo. It means traditional models that have proven not to work. The post on the Galvan Foundation blog is confusing: are they proposing to develop an emergency shelter for singles or are they proposing to provide transitional housing for singles? Thirty studio apartments -- as noted in the post -- is not an emergency shelter which the post states is what they intend to provide. Emergency shelter has long gone beyond its original mandate of "emergency" and now provides wrap around services and long term stays -- as the post contends would be the case here with studio apartments. National studies show that this model has not reduced homelessness at all and, in point of fact, has increased costs to manage homelessness. Yet, national innovative policies, informed by evidence, have led to expanded investments in permanent supported housing in the past decade and have proven to reduce homelessness and its costs greatly. So, what is Columbia County doing about homeless prevention? Why isn't it working (don't blame the homeless) and what is the County doing to provide permanent supportive housing?
ReplyDeleteManaging homelessness will lead to more and more buildings with social significance.
ReplyDeleteAlong with "conserving and maintaining" such buildings, the key word omitted from Galvan's mission statement is "increasing."
Yet that's the business he's in.