Homelessness

(12/23/11) Paul O'Toole, a Burlington homeless man, died of hypothermia Saturday night. He was found sleeping on a heating grate. The temperature was 17 degrees, with windchill around 6. O'Toole's death has sparked debate about what options the homeless have as the weather gets colder. Some say he could have benefited from a low, barrier, or wet shelter. That means the kind of shelter where you're allowed in even if you're intoxicated. But mostly, people were sad that O'Toole couldn't get the help he needed. Sarah Harris stopped in Georgia Center and Milton, Vermont, to hear what people had to say.

(01/23/09) The tumbling economy is forcing more people to learn what it means to be poor. But there are many North Country residents who live in perpetual poverty. Commentator Jill Vaughan has spent a career working closely, intimately, with those people. But she doesn't see them much anymore. more

(11/26/08) The operators of the state's food pantries and soup kitchens say they're still holding out hope that Governor David Paterson will increase welfare benefits. As Albany correspondent Karen DeWitt reports, demand for food is soaring.

(11/20/07) Advocates for the poor are calling on the state to increase welfare benefits and state aid for soup kitchens and food banks. The annual Thanksgiving Action event Monday drew anti-poverty advocates, religious leaders and welfare recipients. Karen DeWitt reports.

(10/02/07) Home foreclosures are on the rise. Stories in the national media tend to focus on metropolitan areas where house prices shot up over the past decade. As real estate values drop and adjustable mortgages climb many buyers can't afford to keep their homes. Rural areas like the North Country are also seeing more foreclosures. Kathy Cary is assistance manager at the St. Lawrence County Housing Council. She watches the court dockets for names of people about to lose their homes. And she says every week the list grows longer. She told Jonathan Brown the reason isn't falling real estate prices, or even the vague-sounding "subprime lender" crisis.

(04/10/07) The relatively low cost of housing in the North Country draws people to the area. But for people with below-average income, finding a home, even here, is tough. Over the past few years, the military brought thousands of families to Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties to work at Fort Drum. That's made it even harder for low-income civilians to buy a house. Not-for-profits are trying to help. North Country Affordable Housing has been working with people in the three counties for 20 years. Executive Director Barbara Willis says the challenges remain, but this year things are looking up, mainly because of a boost in operating funds in the state budget. Jonathan Brown asked her how low-income people are faring in the current real-estate market.

(05/23/06) Hundreds of clay bowls that were made over the last few months by students and staff in a Jefferson County school will raise thousands of dollars for hunger relief. South Jefferson Middle School, in Adams, is participating in the "Empty Bowls" program. The basic idea for the project is simple. Participants create ceramic bowls, then serve a simple meal of soup and bread. All the money raised benefits local food shelves and homeless shelters. South Jefferson's dinner is Wednesday night (5-6:30 pm) in the High School cafeteria. South Jefferson Middle School counselor Steve Robinson told Todd Moe that all 450 students participated in the project.

(11/22/05) The state's food pantries and soup kitchens want Governor Pataki and the legislature to commit more money to help poor New Yorkers pay their heating bills. Karen DeWitt reports.

(04/14/05) For more than 30 years, Bread for the World has been a non-partisan voice for ending hunger. Bread for the World will lead a series of workshops on advocacy issues dealing with hunger locally, nationally and world wide today in Canton. Jim Stipe is Northeast Regional Organizer for the anti-hunger group. He spoke with Todd Moe.

(04/01/05) A non-profit group called Comlinks plans to build 20 affordable apartments and townhouses in North Creek. Senator Hillary Rodham-Clinton unveiled the $4 million development yesterday at a ceremony in Glens Falls. As Brian Mann reports, local leaders say a shortage of worker housing in the region threatens to push out young families and stifle economic development.

State Senator Betty Little will hold an affordable housing symposium April 15th in Lake Placid.