Protestors gather at Oneida Square, call for better, more accessible housing for homeless
Protestors gathered Saturday morning at Oneida Square in Utica to call on local officials to better house its homeless residents.
The event was organized by individuals from different organizations — such as the nearby Cornerstone Community Church — to show solidarity with the homeless, call on elected officials to house them and raise awareness for volunteers, organizers and protestors.
While there are homeless shelters in the Utica area, organizer Elyssa Bolt said, they often suffer from not enough beds and rules or policies that can become barriers for some, such as curfews or sobriety checks.
"Often couples are forced to split up, or parents are forced to relinquish their kids into the foster system," Bolt said.
Another organizer of Saturday's event, Ace Morreale, also noted shelters may not even be accessible for those with certain disabilities, recalling a time a disabled person was not able to enter a shelter that lacked a handicap-accessible entrance.
"Low barrier, harm reduction shelters are the best program right now, but we don't have any in the city," said Mike Ballman, a pastor at Cornerstone Community Church.
Local issues:Mohawk Valley Water Authority looks to increase water rate
Jobs and development:Oneida County facing worker shortage. What to know
Ballman said when the church's Morrow Warming Center operated as an overnight shelter, it served over 400 individuals. It currently does not have funding for overnight stays but provides services such as clothing and showers, he said.
Bolt, who was previously homeless, also wants people to be aware of how easily someone can become homeless, whether it's by job loss, eviction or another event.
"It can happen to anybody," she said. "All it takes is one stroke of bad luck."
H. Rose Schneider covers public safety, breaking and trending news for the Observer-Dispatch in Utica. Email Rose at hschneider@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Oneida Square protest: Protesters call for housing homeless
