The Public's Chance to Speak
As the plan to make the City of Hudson the repository for all the homeless single adults who find their way to Columbia County moves relentlessly forward, one wonders when and if the planners will ever pause to wonder what the residents of Hudson think of the idea. At public meetings and from newspaper articles, we've learned that the project has the support of Don Moore, who is impressed by the services promised, Mayor Hallenbeck, who is looking for some "consideration" from the county in return for making Hudson the home of the homeless, Bill Hughes, who claims the project already has the support of the majority of the Common Council, and a future neighbor of the proposed facility, who thinks it's time people were more "human" toward each other. So far, however, there has been no public forum in which dissenting opinions about the shelter or concerns about its impact on our city could be expressed, but that opportunity may be coming, if the planners can just figure out when.
Nathan Mayberg reports in today's Register-Star that the Columbia County Homeless Plan Implementation Committee is "looking at holding a community forum" in Hudson about the proposed homeless shelter and transitional housing facility: "A chance to speak up about shelter project." They are, the article indicates, thinking of September as a time for this forum.
September is more than a month off, and by September, according to the timeline the project seems to be on, the Columbia County Board of Supervisors will likely have already voted on the proposal and the project will have started its journey through the City of Hudson regulatory boards--Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, Historic Preservation Commission. Tom Swope, executive director of the Galvan Initiatives Foundation whose project this is, anticipates that the Planning Commission will schedule its public hearing on the project for some time in September, possibly mid-September. CARES, the not-for-profit that designed the county plan to end homelessness and now heads up the Homeless Plan Implementation Committee, wants the forum to be held before the Planning Commission holds its public hearing.
It would make sense to have the forum even sooner--before the Board of Supervisors votes on the proposal. Richard Keaveney, the supervisor from Canaan who sits on the committee and supports the shelter, is quoted in Mayberg's article as saying "in the end, it's going to be the city who decides." That statement, of course, raises the perennial question: Who or what is "the city"?
The City of Hudson paid absolutely no attention to the passionate outpouring of sentiment expressed by the citizens regarding our waterfront, so there is no reason to think that our voices will make any difference on the homeless issue. We're stuck in a frustrating dilemma; a small, vibrant city with amazing potential, but led by people who don't have a clue.
ReplyDeleteThe homeless should be housed. But what assurances can those backing this project make to neighbors and taxpayers that the facility would be used to serve Columbia County’s actual homeless population, as opposed to becoming a lure for other counties to foist their social problems on us?
ReplyDeleteSome allege that counties south of us who have far larger homeless populations are eager to ship their problems northward, especially if we have entities eager to soak up the revenue associated with providing such services.
This type of social engineering has come back to bite Hudson before, so caution is in order.
Concentrated poverty is already an issue in Hudson, especially north of Warren Street. Why add a new, troubled population to an area already rife with unresolved social, economic & safety issues? Rather than bring potential improvement & economic opportunity to the area (leveraging the presence of the Abramovic project) this proposal further concentrates poverty and deepens the disparity between the two sides of Warren Street. A solution might be for Galvan to use their empty building on the 500 block of Union Street, but I imagine the NIMBY-ism from affluent neighbors would be stronger than the opposition to the project in its proposed location. What's the solution?!
ReplyDeleteGalvan Foundation will earn $3.1m for 5yrs of "service". At 37 beds, that's $1400/month for each bed. That's merely the cost of the room, nothing more. Remember, "the case management services provided by the Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties, which will contract with the Galvan Foundation separately."
ReplyDeleteGalVan Lantern CHETH ...whatever their current moniker is
ReplyDeletedoes not help HOMELESS. This is an Industry.
No women with children ,children,teens or families are included in this scheme
A women and children's homeless shelter at top of Warren in 3rd Ward
and not associated with Galloway ,was shot down in a quick NIMBY second.
Where's the "humanity" in That
oh right ,new "Manhattan" Crimson Sparrow restaurant was going to open 2 blocks down the street and
a rich Canadian guy just bought the house next door.NIX Quick.
Galloway doesn't "do" women,children or families,when it comes to his
Magnanimous altruistic endeavors.
There is no money in that. The Care costs far are too high. Families,kids take up too much sq. footarge per government pay out.
SO WHAT ABOUT THE HOMELESS KIDS,WOMEN AND CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND TEENS?
MR MOORE? MR.HUGHES?MR.GALLOWAY?MAYOR HALLENBECK,
EX MAYOR SCALERA current BOS 5th Ward and Galloway Employee?BOS of COLUMBIA COUNTY?
Galloway Homeless Industries only house a specific Qualifying group of highest government payout "Homeless"
Permanent,(meaning if you get your act together,you will be replaced. by the next most desperate qualifying subject..99 % occupancy is a must for this racket.)
HENCE PERMEANT HOMELESS
Single,with mental health problems/and or/Chemical dependent and or HIV -AIDS
These are UP TO 30 yr deals Galloway Homeless Industries signs,to get these breaks.
Galloway will also make sure liabilities,maintenance utilities,(of course all will have NYS Med Benefits and food and shelter allowance which will go to Galloway) garbage,snow removal, Staffers ETC.
will not come out Galloways kick .That will be either City or County. Maybe State.Galloway has a direct hook-up
to the FED via Shuan Donavan who runs HUD in the Whitehouse
City,County,State and Fed....Galloway gets pay outs from them all. All that money is taxpayer money.
Call it Tax breaks ,Tax credits,Grants, no interest loans , plain old cash, and all the other myriad of payouts Lantern has perfected in NYC-
it is coming from the tax payer one way or another and landing in Galloway and his investors,shills,supporters ,whatever..Pockets..
If anyone is sincerely interested in helping the homeless in Columbia County
ReplyDeleteFirst a head count.
Then Identify who they are, as in ,single male, single female,family,women with children, children,teens,
mentally ill,chemically dependent,suffering from illness,such as AIDS-HIV , Having Disabilities.ETC and combinations of any of the latter.
What are their needs? Using the best models available ,help get these people back into the main stream of productive life and proper medical care.
No warehousing.
Eliminate Homelessness.
That's the goal.
I will not tip toe because ,Galloway says HOMELESS
I know this game. It's an old one,but apparently still works.
This Aficionado of SRO'S for permeant homeless in NYC is in the business of maintaining homelessness. Get IT?
There is NO need for Galloway in Hudson or Columbia County.We can take care of ourselves. There are solid organizations out there that can handle this.
We have enough problems. Hasn't Galloway created enough havoc with his empty buildings and empty promises.
Wrecking historic landmarks and threatening to wreck more?
Leave us alone.Go away. Especially on the Northside.We are just starting to make some progress.
Galloway cannot keep these Single mentally ill,chemically dependent ,disabled or AIDS-HIV SRO's full
,without importing from outside Columbia County. This mess was played out in NYC in the late 1980's early 1990s
when the FED flooded NYC with billions for Homeless,orphans and AIDS
Towns and cities all over this country solved their indigent problems with a bus ticket to NYC
Nobody learns anything?
There is no way Galloway can keep 99% occupancy, solely from Columbia County
if he gets his way on 72+ beds in both locations
4th and Columbia and N7th and State St.
He has to import.
Anyone who supports these Galloway Industry of Homelessness Human Warehouses better
be willing to have them built next door to their property, their elementary school ,their business
and convince the neighbor on the other-side ,and across the street what a great and noble thing
their block is doing by hosting this money maker for Galloway
Convince them it will not affect their property values ,or quality of life.
Explain how these SRO Homeless shelters for Single strangers with metal and or chemical dependences \
are going to be there to stay for as long as 30 years, always being replaced as someone leaves.
Ask in the 1st Ward ,if that's OK ,Ask in the 3rd ward ,Or the Michael Court part of the 5th ward ,if that will be OK?
Ask bleeding heart Bill Hughes BOS of the 4th Ward ,will next to his house be fine with him ,how about the businesses and the families of the 4th ward .
OK BY Them?Next to CC Pres.D.Moore over on E. Allen St? Next door to anyone who votes this through?
Just don't ask anybody in the 2nd ward ,because that is already where Hudson dumps their crap anyways.
Poor,welfare folks and immigrants ,don't vote or matter,and the City already destroyed most of it anyway.
Go ask if ANY other town in Columbia County if they would like one of Galloway's Permeant Homeless with major issues SRO'S in the middle of their town.
Next to their house?
I really want to know who is going to vote yes,on the BOS and on Common Council.
Well,besides[ no conflicts of interest],Scalera.
"$3.1 m for 5 years of service"
ReplyDeleteno wonder the food market is put on indefinite hold
and here i actually believed Galvan was going to throw us a bone
What will up to 37 males (if it is correct that only males will be housed in the N7th shelter) do with their idle time on the streets of Hudson?
ReplyDeleteWill the State/County/City provide work or education programs for the homeless?
Will Catholic Charities, etc. provide some assistance?
Let's remember we are speaking of human beings.
well for one thing they better not be caught smoking in the park
DeleteThat is hilarious Vince!
DeleteWhat will 37 males do with their idle time on the streets of Hudson?
ReplyDeleteSame thing they do now, only they would be spending less of their time on the streets since they will have a place to sleep.
There aren't 37 single chronically homeless with mental illness and/or chemically dependent and/or suffering from AIDS /HIV walking around Hudson idly by day and sleeping on the streets of Hudson by night.What are you talking about?
ReplyDeleteGalloway has to round up this "qualifying group of single homeless with these major issues,these highest payout head per bed" ,here in Columbia County ,and since the shelter needs to remain at 99% occupancy ,he will have to eventually recruit from elsewhere,
if not immediately./or