Longtime Operator of Emergency Shelter in Dutchess County Disagrees with County’s Homeless Shelter Plan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Poughkeepsie, NY — Hudson River Housing, which in 1982 founded the only seven-day-a-week emergency housing shelter in Dutchess County, and has since been the facility's only operator for over four decades, disagrees with the County's proposal to stablish a temporary homeless shelter in the former County jail and an eventual permanent shelter on Oakley Street on the north side of the City of Poughkeepsie. Hudson River Housing is making this decision because the County’s proposed actions do not align with the organization’s mission and values, and because these actions also conflict with the valid concerns expressed by numerous City of Poughkeepsie residents.
“It is our organization's belief that housing shelters should be a place of comfort and hope for the most vulnerable members of our community, and that as a community we should be able to take pride in the housing offered to people who are experiencing homelessness,” said Christa Hines, President and CEO of the nonprofit. “From our experience we also know that the built environment has a key impact on a person’s health and sense of wellbeing. The assumption that a facility designed for incarceration can adequately perform as a homeless shelter with minimal renovation, only furthers the stigma and reinforces trauma for people experiencing homelessness.”
Hudson River Housing expresses reservations not only about the choice of shelter locations but also about Dutchess County's intention to restrict the shelter operator's role to operational tasks such as preparing meals, cleaning, and on-site security. This plan minimizes the operator's influence over care management and housing navigation services for shelter residents, which has been carefully developed and shared for decades by Hudson River Housing and various social service partners, with the support of community organizations, volunteers, and donors. In light of both this limited role and the shelter locations selected by the Dutchess County government, Hudson River Housing will not seek to operate the County’s emergency housing shelter when the request for proposals is issued.
At the same time, Hudson River Housing remains committed to providing solutions to homelessness and advocating for people affected by it. It emphasizes that no one is inherently homeless, and holds the view that systemic shortcomings are causing homelessness through the combined effects of high housing costs, low wages, and decreased housing construction.
Hudson River Housing further calls for collaborative efforts to address these structural challenges. The organization extends an invitation to Dutchess County leaders to engage in closer cooperation with housing developers such as Hudson River Housing, and urges government officials to work with municipalities throughout the County to establish emergency shelter and housing services, beyond the north side of the City of Poughkeepsie. The organization also strongly recommends exploring initiatives to develop additional permanent, affordable housing options throughout Dutchess County.
“Homelessness is a complex, community-wide challenge that requires a collective solution,” added Hines. “Hudson River Housing is committed to working with all local partners, including County and municipal governments, to implement the most effective strategies that will provide access to healthy and stable housing for everyone.”
