We would like to thank Councilwoman Friedman for her addition to our Homeless Awareness Campaign. She currently serves with the Anti-Displacement Learning Network and the Rehousing Assistance Program. She has some great information about our area and is a resource for information for those in need.
Homelessness in Broome County by Councilwoman Aviva Friedman
According to Broome County Department of Social Services, at any given time there are about 80 households or 100 people who are living in hotels, 65 shelter beds in Binghamton that are almost always full, and one or two dozen folks who are completely unsheltered or living on the street. The dominant narrative about homelessness and housing instability is that homelessness is a reflection of a personal failing, but the reality is that people experiencing homelessness are residents of our town whose needs we, as a community, have failed to meet.
So what causes folks to become homeless? Many things, of course, as homelessness is a complicated issue. One driver of homelessness and housing insecurity in Binghamton is displacement, which could be caused by a multitude of factors including things like a decreasing availability of affordable and safe housing units and predatory housing practices. Binghamton and Broome County have services in place to help combat these triggers, but, based on the fact that we have almost 200 people facing homelessness on any given day, it’s fair to say that the existing resources can become overwhelmed with the need of the community.
Fortunately, there is a new program in Broome County called the Rehousing Assistance Program, created to help those experiencing homelessness or imminently at risk of becoming homeless. The Rehousing Assistance Program (RAP), created by the Anti-Displacement Learning Network (on which I am fortunate enough to serve!), can help participants with housing search assistance to reduce barriers to affordable housing access, short-term rental assistance (such as security deposit and up to 3 months of rent) to support stabilization, and supportive services for up to 6 months to promote long-term housing retention. The Anti-Displacement Learning Network is currently formulating other programs as well–stay tuned to hear about some long-term solutions that will be coming down the pipeline in the near future, that aim to stop displacement before it starts.
Looking forward, I hope that we can reframe our approach to homelessness. It’s wonderful to have support for programs to help people once they are already experiencing homelessness, but wouldn’t it be nice to have a community where those programs are no longer necessary?
For more information and to apply for the RAP program, please visit Relocation Assistance Program or call/text +1 (607) 743-0453.
Submitted by: Student Assembly
