Homelessness

Upon taking office,  Mayor Sullivan got to work on the homeless issue right away. One of his first moves was to appoint a Homeless Coordinator, and also to form a Homeless Leadership Team (HLT) consisting of more than 40 individuals who work in the social services and law enforcement areas, as well as representatives from faith-based communities and political leaders.

The HLT has made specific recommendations to the Mayor regarding potential solutions to the issue of homelessness, and the Mayor has acted on those recommendations with legislation and advocacy that is yielding real results.

The Mayor’s Cold Weather Plan, which allows churches and other facilities to house homeless families when the weather gets cold, was approved by the Assembly and has opened up hundreds of beds for families in need.

Another tenet of the Mayor's commitment to combat homelessness is the "Change for the Better" campaign. The public awareness campaign encourages motorists to resist the urge to give money to panhandlers begging at intersections. Instead, residents are encouraged to donate funds to any number of local charities that work to help our city's homeless residents, whether it's a soup kitchen, an overnight shelter, or a food bank. By giving to non-profits instead of panhandlers, many of whom are trying to fund their alcohol or drug addiction, real change can be achieved, and the further downward spiral of the street inebriate halted.

Karluk Manor opened in November as a housing option for chronic inebriates.  It is designed to provide safe shelter for those who are addicted to alcohol and are constantly picked up in the streets and parks by our Community Service Patrol and treated when down by our Paramedics.  The facility ultimately saves the city significant costs, and is proven to reduce alcohol consumption by its residents.

A recent death in the facility was not unexpected.  The alternative is for those who are medically damaged by alcohol to die in our parks and alleys.  A civilized community finds alternatives to people dying in our public spaces, and Karluk Manor is designed to provide that alternative.

The Mayor will continue to remove illegal campers from our parks, while trying to connect the campers with social service agencies that may be able to provide housing alternatives, as well as medical treatment and employment.

TESTIMONIALS:

Homeless Coordinator and long-time community volunteer Darrel Hess states that Mayor Sullivan has done more for homelessness than any previous mayor.