Homeless Shelter Still an Issue in Bloomville

BLOOMVILLE –  Residents who said they wanted to be kind and open their hearts to the circumstances of others, are finding it difficult because they no longer feel safe. They were referring to a foster home that  has been turned into a homeless shelter by the county's Department of Social Services in the hamlet of Bloomville.

Heather Smith addressed the Kortright Town Board during their regular meeting on Monday. "There have been a couple of incidences since the last meeting," said Smith. "Kieth Weaver (deputy DSS director) said he would remove an individual and he is still there." She said it has been a month and the resident knows the limits. She said he is on his cell phone in an area where there is minimal cell phone coverage at best, carrying on loud conversations and yelling at all hours. "I have called the cops," she said. 

If the residents have a curfew, they allegedly are not adhering to it. She said another person is outside, howling at the cows he hears on the mountainside, thinking they are coyotes. "My 10-year-old is afraid to walk by herself," she said and Weaver is not returning her phone calls.

"We were opening our hearts and were being accepting. Kieth Weaver said he would remove the individual from the home before 'you guys get in jail'. She said the individual also calls everyone sweetheart. "They keep saying it is only temporary, but I don't feel safe in my own home."

That's the part that bothers the Bloomville native the most. The DSS has passed out flyers, however there is no supervision of the residents. They have been found inside others homes, or loitering outside them.

"Kieth wants us to be nice and accepting, but he isn't keeping up his end of the deal. They need to work with us and they are not. The three or four residents that are there also take everything from the food pantry so it is not available to others. While three of the four residents are accepted by the community, and have interactions with community members, she said the one individual is not. 

Another gentleman confirmed the residents of the home are roaming the hamlet at all hours and  he believes there may be mental issues involved. Superintendent of Highways Bill Burdick said he sees their footprints in the snow walking the streets in the wee hours of the morning. While there is no law against it, it is unsettling to those in the community. 

Supervisor George Haynes said he would speak to the DSS and Wayne Marshfield, who is chairman of the county's DSS committee. He said it was thought someone from the citizens group was going to meet with the committee to discuss the issues, but Haynes was uncertain if they had actually done that. He said he made arrangements for them to meet with the committee prior to the most recent board of supervisors meeting in Delhi.

Residents first complained about the change from a foster home to a homeless shelter in October, when Weaver appealed to them, saying the move is only temporary and the need for more beds in the county is critical, particularly for homeless males.

The home is located near a day car facility and a park where kids play. Residents had asked for assurances that the men being houses did not have criminal records. They also said the county had not been transparent and did not notify town officials of the change prior to making the change.

Weaver said at the October meeting that  the shelter provides a plan and coordinated care for the homeless to eventually get jobs. Homeless shelters are not staffed or supervised. At the time, he said he had heard the concerns of those attending the meeting and the residents of the home would receive some sort of direction. At the time there was the hope  there would be some monitoring of activities and direction provided to help the residents be more compatible with the community.