Hwei-Ling Greeney, director of Amherst Community Connections, went before the Amherst Community Preservation Act Committee last night to defend her proposal to house five "chronic homeless individuals" in apartments for three years at $83,819 per year, or a total request of $251,457.
A recent headcount concluded Amherst has 19 chronically homeless individuals within our town borders. And on most days you can see them in the downtown panhandling, or simply hanging around with nothing to do.
Hwei-Ling Greeney appears before Community Preservation Act Committee
Yes that $251,457 works out to $16,763 annually per person, but these days the average welfare recipient in Massachusetts cost taxpayers almost three times that.
And Ms. Greeney pointed out that in 2012 Amherst police had 775 calls related to the homeless for a budget cost of $58,000.
And AFD often has to transport overly intoxicated (or drug related) homeless individuals from the downtown to Cooley Dickinson Hospital, with a high likelihood those $1,000 trips go unpaid.
Community Connections asking price includes not just the high cost of a one bedroom apartment in Amherst, but an additional case worker who will provide individuals with metal health support services which will hopefully cut down on their involvement with APD and AFD.
The CPA Committee was not overly receptive to the request due to its high cost, untried paradigm and the concern it may not be restricted to down on their luck individuals with some solid connection to the town.
CPA Chair Mary Streeter acknowledged the great need but suggested Ms. Greeney go back to the proposed landlords and see if she can negotiate a lower rent.
The Committee currently has $1,778,747 available but they have 14 proposals before them that add up to more than that.
In March the Committee will make their final decision over which projects to recommend to Town Meeting. And Town Meeting almost always takes their advice.
40 comments:
In my opinion based on the facts that I know, these chronically homeless are homeless by choice. They don't want to be responsible to anything. They also absolutely do not like dealing with Ms. Greeney.
What a stupid proposition. These people don't want a home. Better idea, give them a ride to another town. Problem solved. No more homeless.
These people may get a free apartment but they won't be in it 24 hours a day. They'll be drunken and panhandling on the street all day anyways.
And none of them are from here. They are all here because we have the only WET shelter around. So, thanks for that.
Larry, why all the sympathy for these folks while the vitriol for the UM students?
When you include the unpaid $1000 ambulance bills, who costs the town more?
Just sayin.....
Sure, give them free housing and wait till you see how many more "homeless" will suddenly be hanging out on the streets waiting for the 'gifts' that only Amherst likes to give.
Just another problem that is by choice. Its easier to be useless today then to go out
get a job and be productive. We live in a Democratic state,(Mass.) where the answer to every problem is to throw money at it. Just look at the news today, Hilary/Berie want to increase TAXES to paid for all this bullshit.
Two words: Fuck No.
We must not let these leftists hold the reigns any longer. You want hope and change still, correct? Change must come. Vote liberalism out. Big (needed) change!
Wow. Nice. Maybe better to make homelessness a felony, throw them all in prison and then fork over the really big $.
It's cheaper to house people than to pay for the effects of homelessness; but gee, that means somebody might "get something for nothing", and we just can't have that.
Housing is not a right, it is a privilege, especially in Amherst where every occupancy requires a permit, in some cases, many of them, plus inspections and being subject to changing rules that could force you out of a house. It is also less of a right as local regulations and excessive taxes significantly drive up housing costs, with no sign of this slowing.
If something is a right, you don't need to apply for the government to use something you have already bought. There are two kinds of rights, entitlements and liberties. Entitlements are rights that require someone else to give up something for you to have it, Liberties are free rights, rights where no one has to give up something so you can have it. Sending your kids to public school is an entitlement, someone makes an involuntary sacrifice for you to have this. Looking at the sky is a liberty, no one has to give up their sky, money or otherwise for you to do this.
Housing for the desperate, poor, incapable....well that is the reason we have a society, but it is not a right, it is an act of kindness and charity if done, so often not done. So we can organize and help folks through government or more often privately, but housing is most certainly not a right. Having housing is right. All the barriers that those in Amherst town government put in the way of housing and making housing so expensive, well that is wrong.
What barriers? Can you buy a house? Yes. Can you rent an apartment? Yes.
What the heck are you talking about?
Where is it written that you have a right to housing? And where can i get some of that?
And tell us, 9:12, how have you housed any homeless? And would you mind if i crashed on your sofa for a couple weeks?
How can they be chronically Homeless? Don't we have jail cells and a drunk tank? Where can I hang around all day and get fucked up and let somebody else pay for my house and all my needs? I'll be right over and screw having a job.
Put the bums in jail where they belong...
Make the shelter "dry" and see how many move on to another town. Why do we keep making it easier to panhandle and get high instead of getting back on their feet and off the street? Any statistics of anyone helped to no longer be "chronically homeless?"
Why should my tax dollars be spent on individuals who don't care about themselves. If they're ill put them in an institution. If they're bums arrest them. Fifty years ago we didn't have this problem. Quit being such a generation of wussies and deal with the problem head-on. The more you give these people the more they will take. showing sympathy is not going to solve anything. This my friend is just another waste of tax dollars in the liberal Town of Amherst.
the moment the town of Amherst agree to spend quarter million to provide free housing for five individual, the word of mouth, and social media will advertise that for free. tens, if not hundreds "homeless" people, near and far, will show up at town hall, and demand EQUITY, and fair and same treatment for all, and refuse to leave, until their demands are fulfilled. Amherst will be on national news, for holding a Panhandler rally.
I am anon 9:12. I have housed homeless, build houses for the homeless and buildings for those that help the homeless and you cannot crash on my couch, I don't have one because I don't have time to sit that much. Usually working, but you can possibly crash on my floor or on the back 40 as I did on other people's land so I would not be homeless, yes even in the winter, yes in places way colder than Mass. But you missed my point. The reason we have government is not to provide free school for folks that would have gotten it anyway, the point of government is to provide for the things that would otherwise not be provided for, like housing or school for the needy.
Perhaps this could be balanced by making anyone who sends someone to the public school provide housing for one homeless person (even for just one month).
The barriers are the permits and fees and inspections that if you don't pass, the house is not livable or rentable by law. You can look back in this blog or town laws for info on the building code, occupancy permits, special meetings and permits, renter bylaw, fees and inspections. These are all barriers, big, expensive, time consuming ones that have no documented positive effect, certainly not in proportion to their cost. They all create lower supply and higher costs. This is the restricted market you will likely deny you live in. $1000 rents and $5000 tax bills and $500,000 houses are not normal or within the market rates for most other products or pay scales.
We should house the homeless with the half-lazy people who choose to make just little enough that they can't afford any more overrides.
I like the idea of a poor farm -- which is where the land for the middle/high Schools came from. A job, a meal & a bed -- nothing less and nothing more....
I wish Dr. Ed would be more of a part of his own little town and concentrate on his own life, not ours.
Perhaps this could be balanced by making anyone who sends someone to the public school provide housing for one homeless person (even for just one month).
Did you really say "making?"
Go ahead. Make me.
This is America. Ed has the right to butt in as much as he likes. You have the ability to scroll.
scroll on big mama, scroll on.
Nope that didn't work, Eds still here???
It is pretty easy to make folks do stuff in Amherst. Step one, pass new law. Process complete.
"Make me." that was hilarious.....
Just what we need. More laws. More government. Now That really is hilarious.
The Belchertown schools seem very unsafe and unreasonable.
How about some free booze and heroin to go with the housing?
And EBT Cards too! Thanks Obama!
And "medicinal" pot, too...
Oh yes! Getting fucked up is quite good for you medically. Except for the smoking part and the driving. And the ambition-free living.
Anon 8:52PM, my point exactly. What about a "medical" suspension of the driver's license of anyone smoking "medical" pot?
Hear. Hear.
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/feb/01/medical-marijuana-use-colorado-kansas-veteran-custody-battle
This is the same crowd that wants forgiveness of student loans. You go right ahead and get those Masters and Phd's. And you want ME TO pay for them on my 2nd shift stockhandler pay. Jesus, whatever happened to personal responsibility? Your debt. YOU pay.
You're assuming i will abide by whatever law...
Yikes, guess you guys have never heard of mental health issues or addiction. What a nice sheltered life you all live. Here is an experiment in improving lives and SAVING money, and you all just can't resist your talking points. Fox News rules.
You guys? Who's 'you guys?'
Derailing, but since it is all anonymous, hard to say exactly. Perhaps you prefer the pussy foot "The majority of commenters on this site." My point stands, you rant, but do not propose alternatives that have a tinge of humanity.
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