Local/Region

County DSS commissioner discusses homeless, shelter space

MAYVILLE – The Director of Community Mental Hygiene Services for Chautauqua County, Carmelo Hernandez, stated that the situations of homelessness and those being unhoused did not occur suddenly – nor will solutions be found quickly.

However, Hernandez shared insights the general public may not know about the homeless situation, which has become a serious point of contention in the county.

Hernandez said that because of cutbacks on the NYS side of funding, the county has had to shoulder a larger portion of the cost of housing individuals and families who are facing homelessness, being unhoused, or in a Code Blue status.

"The county is now responsible for 71% of the cost of mandated housing requirements and the state pays 29%," he said. "It used to be a 50- 50 split of the cost. This has directly led to the county paying close to $10 million last year and we are budgeted to pay $12.5 million coming up."

According to the New York State Comptroller's office, Jamestown/Dunkirk/Chautauqua County Continuum of Care has experienced a 23.7% increase in homelessness, making it the fifth-highest regional increase across New York State. In contrast, after doubling between January 2022 and January 2024, homelessness in New York declined by 7.9 percent in January 2025 to 145,560. The decline of 12,459 was the largest among states and was driven predominantly by New York City.

Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. (COI) conducted a Chautauqua County Community Needs Assessment in 2026 and notes a 17% individual poverty rate across the county, exceeding the state baseline of 13.7%. Additionally, 47.1% of local renters are rent-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs, leaving them vulnerable to displacement.

Furthermore, a local Point-in-Time (PIT) survey conducted by COI in 2024 reported that 63% of tracked unhoused individuals reside in the City of Jamestown; 80% of surveyed homeless individuals report managing a mental health condition; 70% indicated active or historic substance use challenges; 47% live with an identified physical disability; 29.2% reported a history or experience with domestic violence.

HOTEL USAGE FOR SHELTERING

Question: What is your position on using hotels and motels to house the homeless or unhoused?

Hernandez: "I don't like it, and I wish New York State would outlaw the use of them. It isn't fair to those we house; it's not fair to the local villages, towns, or cities."

Additionally, Hernandez explained that housing individuals and families in hotels and motels creates more challenges and burdens for his department, including providing oversight and case management.

ADDING MORE SHELTERS

Question: What Direct Impact Would Adding an Additional Shelter in the County Have on His Department?

Hernandez: "Immediate. We believe that more than 60% of the hotels we use would be emptied. A large number of individuals housed by the county are single males."

FEWER HOMELESS VETS LOCALLY

Question: Military veterans of the United States who reside in Chautauqua County are reported to be lower than the national average. What do you think is the positive cause of this?

Hernandez: "The VA. (Veterans Administration) does a great job in helping. Veterans have a lot of support in our community – more help is available for them. There are more resources to help them on the federal and state level."

COUNTY MANPOWER

Question: What manpower hours are dedicated to assisting with housing the unhoused and homeless from your department?

Hernandez: "I have 10 people on my team who work 35 hours a week. However, we work to the mission and not to the clock – if we have to stay late to work on a case or help an individual or family, we do so. We work a lot of extra hours."

ROADBLOCKS

Question: Why do you believe it takes so long to get individuals housed in Chautauqua County?

Hernandez: There are several reasons. For starters, we have an older and limited housing stock. Also, the area lacks safe, affordable, low-income housing. We also have limited resources, and mental health and drug abuse play a huge part in this."

HELPING THOSE WHO DON'T WANT HELP

Question: How does your department deal with those who do not want assistance, or want assistance on a limited basis?

Hernandez: "We cannot compel anyone to accept assistance. Our approach is to meet individuals where they are and support them as they navigate their challenges. It's not always easy, but I remind my staff that our goal should be to empower people to a point where we can work ourselves out of a job. We strive to avoid imposing sanctions, yet we must adhere to the guidelines established by the state. It places us in a challenging position, but we do our utmost to provide the programs and services that are essential for those in need."

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WISH TO SEE ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR

Question: As we approach the end of the year, what is one thing you'd like to accomplish?

Hernandez: "I would like to see at least one homeless or temporary shelter established, whether that involves signing a contract or breaking ground. This would be a significant step in the right direction. As I stated before, a single-male shelter would empty the hotel/motels by around 60%."