(Ithaca, N.Y., October 7, 2024) – The Tompkins County Community Mental Health Services Board (CSB) focused its September meeting entirely on a panel discussion on better understanding the issue of homelessness as it relates to community members experiencing mental health issues, substance use disorders, or developmental disabilities. The CSB regularly requests input from local organizations on current priorities or needs within Tompkins County to help inform local service development. A recording of the meeting is available on the Tompkins County YouTube channel.
Liddy Bargar from the Human Services Coalition (HSC) detailed the state of homelessness in Tompkins County. HSC manages the local Continuum of Care (CoC), an agency that oversees the local homeless response system with a mission to achieving a community in which homelessness is “rare, brief, and one time.”
Data analyzed by the CoC in 2023 showed that of 599 unique individuals served by the local emergency shelter system, only 31% had a positive exit to a permanent housing destination. 28.7% of those who exited homelessness to a permanent housing destination returned to homelessness within two years.
While the national “standard” of how long someone should be in an emergency shelter setting is close to 40 days, locally the average was 94 days in 2023. This discrepancy is due to housing availability and affordability, as well as a lack of financial resources to support housing people in need.
According to the CoC, in 2023 nearly 40% of the individuals entering shelter self-reported experiencing at least one mental health disorder, and 27% reported having a substance use disorder. Additionally, 15% of individuals reported a chronic health condition, 14% reported a physical disability, and 6% reported a developmental disability. Many conditions and disorders overlap for this population, increasing the challenges they face seeking housing and supports. When someone experiences homelessness more than one time, they report mental or physical health problems more often. Bargar concluded that homelessness is traumatic.
Forty percent of those using emergency shelter self-reported being survivors of domestic violence. Of those survivors, nearly half were currently fleeing a domestic violence situation when they sought shelter. “That is an alarming statistic to me, and one I hope we can work on together as a community,” said Bargar.
Bargar reported that the system of supportive housing coordinated through the CoC is at capacity, with only 2 or less of 204 local units of permanent supportive housing currently vacant, “we’re going to need more projects to be able to meet the need of people in our system.”
Brian Coleman of St. John’s Community Services, which operates a local emergency shelter, talked about the need for increased access to mental health and substance use services. Coleman shared anecdotes of the increasingly complex individual health and mental health challenges arising on a more frequent basis.
Tompkins Community Action (TC Action) Executive Director Danielle Harrington described how her agency serves the community’s most vulnerable individuals. “Each resident is assigned a staff coordinator that partners with that household to do goal planning, to navigate social services, to apply for photo ID, get birth certificates and social security cards that open the door to a bunch of other things… It’s about coming inside, creating an environment that feels safe for you, building community within the building you live in, and community out in the world…” TC Action provides 135 units of supportive housing and other community services for youth and people experiencing chronic homelessness.
Harrington spoke about TC Action’s philosophy, “We use a housing first philosophy and a harm-reduction approach,” adding that program participants have “diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health disorders and substance use disorders... with our programming you’re not required to have sober time or be in a treatment plan because we believe that you have a right to housing and we can’t ask you to come to us as a person experiencing homelessness with a disabling condition and then tell you that you need to change everything because you have that disabling condition.”
TC Action is facing the lack of available substance treatment and mental health supports, like those shared by other panelists. “I would love for things to be on demand because when somebody’s ready to make a change, if you can do it in the moment, it moves forward smoothly,” said Harrington. She spoke about clients being at risk of victimization, “especially once we bring them into their own housing…” when people can show up in their lives and encourage negative behavior or activity that puts their housing and health at risk.
Heather Bradley-Geary, Director of Supportive Housing at the Vecino Group said that her organization shares the housing first approach. The Vecino Group develops housing projects with both affordable and permanent supportive housing units, with the Arthaus and Asteri projects locally funded through low-income tax credits and public bonds through the New York State Office of Housing and Community Renewal.
“I’m not saying we can just put people in units, we have to bring in all the services to help people stay housed,” added Bradley-Geary. She relayed that some of the hardest things for serving folks exiting chronic homelessness, some who have “been on the street for 13-15 years,” is that it’s hard to “go into permanent housing if you don’t know how to live in permanent housing. "The last thing we want to do is cycle people back into homelessness.”
Harrington and Bradley-Geary both spoke to the challenge of community perception, “There are stereotypes about people living in poverty, stigma for the unhoused, fear…” said Harrington. Bradley-Geary commented, “… the stigma that exists around homelessness is unacceptable.” She added, “… people aren’t unhoused or homeless because of something they did wrong… we really need to work hard to get rid of that stigma. As a community we need to do that work.”
The Learning Web has 32 units for youth experiencing the transition from homelessness. Case managers are provided to all youth at The Learning Web, focusing on employment, education, physical or mental health needs, addiction recovery, and parenting – support that continues to be offered even after participants leave Learning Web housing.
Youth are provided no-barrier access to mental health support with all costs covered by The Learning Web. Clinical Social Worker Mike Ellis said that relationships that have been damaged along the way to becoming an adult are critical to address. He helps clients learn basic self-care and navigate boundaries to create safety in their relationships. These services are helping people to “get out of survival mode” and heal from the challenges they’ve faced.
Learning Web Youth Outreach Program Director Anthony Paolangeli cited the fact that there is no youth shelter in Tompkins County as a challenge; “it’s always been a dream here in Tompkins County… and it has not happened.” Paolangeli talked about how the rental market in Tompkins County makes it difficult for youth to find housing due to a lack of rental or income history.
Panelists shared their ideas for system improvements, most centering around the need for additional resources and support. Brian Coleman spoke about the need for continued collaboration, “We can’t be a one-stop-shop, so bringing additional resources into the shelter is going to be significant for us as far as getting to provide the supports that are needed.”
Bradley-Geary said there are more opportunities to provide “critical time intervention,” 90 days of “what can we do to help this person stay housed.” She added that there is simply a need to allow people to transition out of homelessness.
Paolangeli said that low-barrier rental assistance specifically for youth could reduce the intimidation of navigating systems designed for adults. Mike Ellis said that easier access to psychiatry services would make a difference easing anxiety and depression. Ellis advocated for The Learning Web’s no-barrier mental health counseling program to be replicated in other settings.
Danielle Harrington reiterated that stigma and stereotypes can and should be addressed head-on “We’re going to do a better job of sharing our successes…. It doesn’t take long to scroll through [social media] and see all the problems, but we’re not seeing that out of the 40 units that we’re serving, 5 are really struggling but the other 35…” are doing positive things in the community.
About the Community Services Board
Each county in New York State is required under NYS Mental Hygiene Law (Title E, Article 41) to have a Community Services Board (CSB). The primary function of the CSB is to develop and approve the local services plan for mental hygiene services and advocate for services in Tompkins County. Members are appointed by the County Legislature. Whenever practical, membership shall include a licensed physician and a licensed psychologist, but at least two members shall be licensed physicians.
The CSB has separate subcommittees for Mental Health, Substance Use, and Developmental Disabilities.
Learn more about the CSB online at: tompkinscountyny.gov/health/csb
Media contact: Shannon Alvord, salvord@tompkins-co.org
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