'They are set on the city:' Legislature to vote on homeless shelter after targeted search

Dutchess County looked at nearly a dozen locations for a homeless shelter before deciding on a building in the city of Poughkeepsie.

The locations included a former bank, a dormitory building and a hotel.

Some of the locations were in Hyde Park and the town of Poughkeepsie, but five of the 11 were on the north side of the city, including the 26 Oakley St. location ultimately selected.

That raised concerns among many of those who live in, and represent, the area. The north side's neighborhoods have a high population of people of color, and has some of the county's lowest average incomes. The area also contends with gun violence, drug abuse and crime.

But, the parameters set by the county in searching for possible locations helped lead to a list centralized in the city. And, after a one-month delay to "address community feedback" and consider alternative sites, the county Legislature is poised to take action on the proposed site over the coming days.

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Legislators in the Environment committee are set to vote tonight on the determination the project would not have a negative environmental and social impact on the community. The county added "an extra level of diligence ... to address community concerns raised," though it was not required by the state, according to Colleen Pillus, spokesperson for the County Executive's Office.

The vote will set the stage for Monday, when the majority-Republican legislature plans on voting on purchasing the building, though Democrats have asked for more time.

The location, they say, fits the requirements of the county's needs.

"There have been numerous sites suggested as well as looked at by (the county) and 26 Oakley checks off a lot of the boxes," said Gregg Pulver, a northern Dutchess Republican and chairman of the Legislature.

Community members had identified 21 more sites around Dutchess, which the county considered and provided reasons why they were not suitable. Reasons included improper building size, a lack of utilities, if a bus line was not nearby or if the property was not for sale.

Nearly all of the sites were south of the city, some as close as the Vassar Brothers hospital area of the town and some as far as Fishkill.

The county's search parameters, though, left little chance of a site to be found far from the city. They included that the site be within five miles of downtown Poughkeepsie, within a half a mile of a bus line and not within a 1,000 feet of a daycare or school.

Pillus on Wednesday noted "the problem of homelessness is concentrated in the city of Poughkeepsie — the majority of those needing services are city of Poughkeepsie residents — so the solution needs to be in the city of Poughkeepsie."

The facility will have up to 120 beds and wrap around services that offer the foundational tools to find employment and housing to reenter society. The model for the program is based off a successful program in Bergen County, New Jersey.

Fifth ward concerns

The fifth ward, where the facility is proposed, is home to the Dutchess County's Jail, where the county has been housing homeless individuals in temporary "PODS" through the pandemic. Residents and those they represent believe the shelter will attract more homeless individuals from around the county into the neighborhoods where many of their children walk to school.

"I was a 'No' on the SEQRA because I believe that there is a 'Social Impact' to the community and neighborhood and I did not see that a careful review was done to say that this would have 'little to no impact,'" stated Yvette Valdés Smith, D-Fishkill and Beacon, the Legislature's minority leader.

Those working with mobile crisis intervention team say they are seeing more homeless and mentally ill individuals arrive in Poughkeepsie from outside the county, and sometimes even the state. One of the issues they face is that these individuals do not use the services already in place. County Executive Marc Molinaro had previously stated a significant portion of the county's homeless population is from the Town and City of Poughkeepsie.

City Councilmember Yvonne Flowers, who represents the city's Fifth Ward, said her residents have seen an uptick in criminal and negative activity in their neighborhoods since the temporary shelter was established, concerns which she communicated to the county.

The county would not comment on whether they saw an increase in criminal and drug-based activity in the area since the PODs were introduced, but has stated the shelter would provide services to minimize those interactions.

Pillus also said, according to the SEQRA handbook, homeless shelters are not considered to have "significant impact on community character."

What was added in the past month

Pulver said delaying the vote on approving the shelter "allowed us to address some of the community concerns, but more importantly we're creating an advisory board that will oversee the (request for proposals) for whatever entity decides to run (the facility)."

The amended environmental review includes the creation of a community safety unit, a legislative committee, a stakeholders group to advice on operational aspects of the project including who is chosen to operate the site and a process for neighbors to communicate concerns.

The environmental review also addresses how the project may impact the community character by stating, "Comments stated that the community is already challenged by crime, drugs and guns, and that there is a need for additional police resources."

The county said it was "sensitive" to the residents concerns but that past experience has shown that negative impacts from affordable housing and shelters are "generally overestimated."

Despite many of the suggested sites being in the city, Flowers said she believes other options would have been less harmful than 26 Oakley St. The city's common council has retained an attorney and plans to file a lawsuit if the shelter is approved.

"At the end of the day, they are set on the city of Poughkeepsie and nothing we say or recommend will change that," said Flowers.

Saba Ali: Sali1@poughkeepsiejournal.com: 845-451-4518: @MsSabaAli.

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Dutchess homeless shelter site impact up for vote in Legislature