Submitted photo
A community open discussion and forum regarding the homeless crisis in Jamestown is set to be held from 6-8 p.m., Thursday, at the Robert H. Jackson Center, 305 E. Fourth St.
A community forum to discuss the city’s homeless population will be held Thursday.
The forum is hosted by the Jamestown Justice Coalition and the Young Women’s Christian Association of Jamestown and will be held at the Robert H. Jackson Center, 305 E. Fourth St., from 6 to 8 p.m.
“All are welcome to attend the event,” said Amanda Gesing, Jamestown YWCA executive director. “One part of the panel will be the non-profits and agencies who are working with the unhoused and homeless and the other part will be actual homeless or recently housed who were homeless talking about what they needed and barriers they faced.”
Justin Hubbard, coordinator of the Jamestown Justice Coalition, said some of the non-for-profits who are planning on attending the event include representatives from the United Christian Advocacy Network’s City Mission; Chautauqua Opportunities Incorporated; Mental Health Association; UPMC Chautauqua; Be the Change You Want to See in Jamestown and others.
“We’ve got a panel of those who have boots on the ground and are doing direct work with the homeless,” said Hubbard. “We hope that at this meeting we can discuss more ways of collaboration between the various groups and agencies.”
The two non-profit leaders believe this upcoming meeting aligns with their perspective organizations mission statements.
“The YWCA’s mission is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Dignity for all includes homeless neighbors,” said Gesing.
Hubbard said the Justice Coalition focuses on achieving recognition, dignity, and equity for all citizens in our community regardless of race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, gender or sexuality.
The homeless crisis in Jamestown is nothing new. The Post-Journal has reported on the uptick of the homeless and unhoused population for close to two plus years. However, when Jamestown’s Mayor Kim Ecklund declared a state of emergency, on July 25, regarding the growing, makeshift encampments and shanties forced those hidden in plain sight to become much more visible.
“I knew we had an encampment down by the Riverwalk and the train viaduct, but I didn’t realize how big the problem had become,” said Angela M. Ramirez-Soto of Jamestown. “You know, I did notice people pushing shopping carts full of stuff up and down Main Street, but I never drew the connection until recently. … All this right in front of my eyes.”
Bonnie Weber of Be the Change you Want to See in Jamestown and a panel member at the upcoming community forum, said she hoped that the discussion to be held on Thursday would bridge the gap between various agencies and find better, more long-term solutions, other than just throwing away money for Code Blue hotel rooms and temporary housing.
“I don’t think the Code Blue shelters are the way to go,” she said. “The county is paying close to $1,900 to house one person for a month, at a hotel, where there’s bedbugs, dirty sheets and no accountability. I guess on the bright side, most of the rooms have a microwave in them; we need more mental health care and drug rehabilitation programs before we can even think about housing some of these people, my friends.”