LAST SUMMER, HOMELESSNESS WAS AN ISSUE BEING DISCUSSED BY MANY IN
GREENFIELD.
AND IN AUGUST, THE MAYOR AND BOARD OF HEALTH
STEPPED IN AND SAID HOMELESS PEOPLE COULD NOT CAMP ON THE
GREENFIELD TOWN COMMON, WHICH ABOUT 20 PEOPLE HAD BEEN DOING
SINCE JUNE.
AFTER THAT SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE ENTERED SHELTERS, OTHERS
REMAINED LIVING ON THE STREETS.
NOW, THE SUDDEN DEATHS LAST MONTH OF KATHLEEN GRADY AND
CLAYTON "AARON" WHEELER, WHO WERE HOMELESS, HAS SOME PEOPLE
IN THE COMMUNITY QUESTIONING HOW HOMELESSNESS SHOULD BE
ADDRESSED.
FOR PERSPECTIVE ON THIS MATTER I SPOKE WITH ELIZABETH BENZ OF
SERVICE NET, WHICH IS A RESOURCE AGENCY FOR THE HOMELESS AND
OTHERS, AND GREENFIELD CITY COUNCILOR KAREN "RUDY" RENO.
>> WHEN THEY WERE DISPERSED, SOME PEOPLE JUST WENT BACK IN
THE WOODS AND THERE'S AN ENCAMPMENT BEHIND McDONALD'S AND
THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF FOLKS WENT.
THERE WERE SOME THAT WENT TO THE SHELTER, BUT I THINK THE
MAJORITY OF PEOPLE JUST -- THEY STAYED OUTSIDE BUT THEY WENT TO
THE BACK OF McDONALD'S.
>> AND SO FOR YOU, I'VE HEARD YOU SAY PUBLICLY, YOU WERE
CONCERNED THAT THIS WOULD TURN INTO A OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF
MIND.
>> UH-HUH.
>> FOR THESE PEOPLE.
DO YOU THINK THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED?
>> I MEAN, ABSOLUTELY -- ONCE THE TOWN -- ONCE THE DO NOT
CROSS YELLOW TABLE AND THE GRASS STARTED GROWING, IT REALLY -- IT
WAS NO LONGER PART OF THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE.
NOT SO MUCH.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME THINGS PUT IN PLACE TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW,
LONG-TERM, HOW DO WE PREVENT THIS AND THERE'S A GREENFIELD
AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT COMMITTEE THAT'S LOOKING AT HOW
DO WE FILL IN THESE GAPS IN HOUSING BUT IN TERMS OF AS
MUCH -- AS MUCH AS PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT THEN, IT'S NOT
THE SAME.
IT'S ONLY COME BACK AROUND SINCE BECAUSE OF THE DEATHS THAT
HAPPENED.
>> WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT AND IT WAS TRAGIC.
ELIZABETH, YOU WORK AT SERVICE KNELT ONE OF THE SERVICED
PROVIDERS THAT WORKS WITH THE HOMELESS AMONG WITH OTHER
THINGS.
AS LONG AS ON THE CAMPING ON THE TOWN COMMON IN GREENFIELD, DID
YOU SEE OR HEAR FROM THESE ABOUT 20 PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN LIVING
THERE?
>> YEAH, I THINK SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO HAD BEEN LIVING ON THE
COMMON STAYED YOU IN TOUCH WITH CASE MANAGERS.
SOME PEOPLE WANTED TO COME INTO THE SHELTER.
SOME PEOPLE DID COME INTO THE SHELTER.
AND ALSO SOME PEOPLE WHO CHOSE TO REMAIN OUTSIDE OR IN OTHER
ARRANGEMENTS HAVE REMAINED IN TOUCH AND I THINK THEY SHARE,
YOU KNOW, THE CONCERN OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND ALSO AFTER
THAT POINT.
>> DUFFEL THAT HAS ALSO BEEN THE CASE?
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> SO WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THAT?
>> I THINK THE GREATEST NEED IS FOR MORE SUBSIDIZED HOUSING IN
THE COMMUNITY.
ADDITIONAL SHELTER SPACE WOULD CERTAINLY BE HELPFUL BUT SOME
FOLKS ARE NOT GOING TO BE COMFORTABLE TO ACCESS THE
SHELTER AND I THINK WE SAW THAT WITH THIS COUPLE WHO PASSED
AWAY.
>> AND, YOU MENTIONED THERE HAD BEEN AN ENCAMPMENT BEHIND
McDONALD'S WHICH IS WHERE THIS TWO PEOPLE WHO PASSED
AWAY -- WHERE THESE TWO PEOPLE PASSED AWAY, AND THE DISTRICT
ATTORNEY SUSPECT NO FOUL PLAY THEY HAVEN'T DIRECTLY SAID THIS
IS THE RESULT OF IT BEING SO COLD SO WE'RE AWAITING THAT BUT
PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY SUSPECT THAT IT WAS A VERY COLD NIGHT.
TOO COLD TO BE SLEEPING OUTSIDE; IS THAT RIGHT?
>> FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A PROPANE HEATER INSIDE THE
TENT AND LIKE THE TOXOLOGY REPORT HASN'T COME BACK YET BUT
THEY PROBABLY DIED FROM POISONING TRYING TO KEEP WARM,
SO -- SO IT WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE COLD.
>> AND ONE OF THE REASONS AS I UNDERSTAND IT THAT PEOPLE CAME
TO THE COMMON IS THAT SOME OF THOSE CAMPING SITES ELSEWHERE IN
THE COMMUNITY HAD BEEN DEEMED INAPPROPRIATE AND UNLAWFUL BY
THE CITY.
IS THAT ONE OF THOSE CAMPING SITES THAT WAS SAID NOT -- THAT
THE CITY CAME OUT AND SAID, YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE.
YOU SHOULDN'T BE USING THIS LAND?
>> THE ONE BEHIND McDONALD'S -- THERE'S NOT A
PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE STAYING THERE.
THE ONE -- THERE USED TO BE ONE IN TOWN, I'M SURE ELIZABETH
KNOWS ABOUT THE JUNGLE.
IT'S CALLED THE JUNGLE.
IT WAS THE RAILROAD AMTRAK.
THEY OWN THE LAND THERE AND ALSO IT'S DANGEROUS 'CAUSE I THINK
PEOPLE WERE TOO CLOSE TO THE RAILROAD TRACKS SO THAT'S WHY
THAT ONE GOT BROKEN UP MANY YEARS AGO.
>> UH-HUH. >> AND SO WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS
HAPPEN.
WHEN PEOPLE ARE MOVED OFF OF PROPERTIES, WHAT'S THE NEXT
STEP?
DOES SERVICE NET REACH OUT TO THEM?
YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THESE PEOPLE HAD BEEN IN TOUCH WITH
CASE WORKERS AT SERVICE NET.
HOW DO YOU WORK WITH THE HOMELESS POPULATION IN THESE
CIRCUMSTANCES?
>> WE WORK WITH PEOPLE APPLYING FOR HOUSING AVAILABLE IN THE
AREA.
GETTING THEM TO SHELTER IF THEY CHOOSE OR TRYING TO MAKE
ARRANGEMENTS, YOU KNOW, WITH OTHER PEOPLE THEY MAY BE ABLE TO
STAY WITH TEMPORARILY.
WE HELP PEOPLE APPLY FOR PUBLIC PROGRAMS THEY MAY BE ELIGIBLE
FOR TO HELP WITH BASIC NEEDS.
LIKE THE S.N.A.P.
PROGRAM OR DISABILITY BENEFITS.
WE HELP FOR PEOPLE LOOK FOR WORK TO TRY TO GET BACK ON THEIR FEET
IN DIFFERENT WAYS DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY NEED.
>> GIVEN THIS PARTICULAR CASE WITH THIS COMMON, THE FACT THAT
THERE WASN'T AN IMMEDIATE PLACE FOR THESE FOLKS TO GO, WHETHER
IT'S SUBSIDIZED HOUSING OR THOSE ADDITIONAL SHELTER BEDS WHICH I
UNDERSTAND ARE QUITE TIGHT IN GREENFIELD.
DO YOU THINK THE CITY MADE THE WRONG CALL FROM HEALTH
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CITY AND ULTIMATELY FROM THE MAYOR
YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE COMMON?
>> I DON'T THINK -- I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK IT WAS -- IT
WAS JUST THE FACT THAT FOLKS HAD TO LEAVE THE COMMON.
I THINK IT'S -- I THINK IT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THERE
WERE WARMING CENTERS.
WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE WERE IN PLACE ON THE COMMON OR SOMEWHERE
ELSE.
I THINK IF THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES.
SERVICE NET CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR -- FOR ALL
THE HOMELESS IN GREENFIELD.
I MEAN, IT HAS TO BE -- IT HAS TO BE A COMMUNITY ENDEAVOR AND I
THINK GOVERNMENT HAS TO WORK WITH THE SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES
AND I THINK ALSO ONE THING THAT'S RELEVANT TO THIS
CONVERSATION THAT I ACTUALLY FOUND OUT HERE IS BAYSTATE IS
CLOSING OUT THE UNIT AT FLYNN AND AT NOBLE AND AT WING AND
THAT'S DISTURBING BECAUSE THAT'S, YOU KNOW -- MENTAL
HEALTH IS PART OF THE REASON WHY SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS,
YOU KNOW, IT'S THE ECONOMY.
IT'S MENTAL HEALTH.
IT'S ADDICTION AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF, LIKE, IT HAS TO
BE A TEAM EFFORT TO TRY TO GET FOLKS INTO STABLE HOUSING AND
PART OF THAT IS, YOU KNOW, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
>> AND HERE WE ARE SAYING ABOUT BAYSTATE AND ABOUT SERVICE NET
MY QUESTION IS MORE ABOUT THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY IN ALL OF
THIS BECAUSE IT STARTED WITH THE CITY SAYING, NO, YOU HAVE TO GO
WHEN THE TOWN ORDINANCE DIDN'T SAY THAT THAT WAS A PLACE WHERE
PEOPLE -- IT DIDN'T PROHIBIT PEOPLE FROM ACTUALLY STAYING ON
THAT COMMON OVERNIGHT?
>> I THINK THE CITY CAN AND SHOULD OPEN WARMING CENTERS.
WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO IT.
WE HAVE THESE BUILDINGS.
YOU NEED SPRINKLE SYSTEMS.
AND YOU NEED STAFF AND WE COULD GET THE STAFF FROM SERVICE NET
TRAINED AND WE COULD OPEN UP A HIGH SCHOOL AND THAT'S WHAT THEY
DO IN OTHER CITIES AND, YEAH, I DO THINK --
>> SO MAYBE NOT GETTING STUCK ON THAT SMALL PIECE OF LEGALESE.
NOT THAT SPRINKLE SYSTEMS ARE NOT IMPORTANT IT COULD BE A
PUBLIC SAFETY PROBLEM IF THAT WAS TO ARISE BUT MAYBE
OVERLOOKING IN THE SHORT-TERM WHEN YOU HAVE THESE
FRIGID-FRIGID TEMPERATURES.
>> OH, YEAH, BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY -- LIKE ELIZABETH
SAID, NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO TO THE SHELTERS.
IT'S NOT THAT THEY'RE NOT WELCOMED.
THERE MIGHT BE SOMEBODY THERE THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE OR
SOME KIND OF TRAUMA SO THERE HAS TO BE SOME OTHER OPTIONS.
>> I WANT TO ZOOM OUT A LITTLE BIT SO I WAS LOOKING AT SOME
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT STATISTICS AND LATE LAST YEAR, A
REPORT CAME OUT WHO SAID HOMELESS IN MASSACHUSETTS WAS AT
A SIGNIFICANT RISE, ABOUT 25,000 PEOPLE ACROSS THE STATE ARE NOW
HOMELESS AND THAT'S HIGHER THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN A DECADE AS I
UNDERSTAND IT FROM THOSE STATISTICS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS DRIVING THAT -- THAT TREND?
>> I MEAN, IN GREENFIELD, I DEFINITELY SEE A RISE IN RENT.
I'VE WORKED IN THE SERVICE NET SHELTER PROGRAM FOR 12 YEARS AND
DURING THAT TIME RENT HAS GONE UP RAPIDLY, MUCH FASTER THAN
WAGES HAVE INCREASED AND I THINK A PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION
FIND THEMSELVES STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET IN A BASIC WAY.
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