News stories tagged with "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.

(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.

(03/14/05) People who are homeless in rural regions like Northern New York redefine our picture of "homelessness". The National Coalition for the Homeless, a not-for-profit advocacy group, says rural homeless are more likely to be white, female, married, working--and homeless for short periods of time. And instead of relying on social service agencies, many rural homeless people stay with family or friends until they get back on their feet. They move from place to place, staying with friends and relatives, or in a series of substandard apartments and trailers. NCPR talked with some of these overlooked neighbors, and with some of their advocates, in a series of stories last May called Close to Homeless. This week, we'll revisit those stories, and check back to see how the people we met are faring. In part one of our series last spring, David Sommerstein reported on a family in Dickinson Center in Franklin County who have experienced the most persistent kind of rural homelessness: chronic transiency.

(05/28/04) Young people from rural areas who wind up homeless often land on the streets of big cities. They go to escape poverty or broken families. They're searching for jobs or an education or adventure. But many of these kids wind up victims -- addicted to drugs, hooked into prostitution. Brian Mann spent a night on the streets of Montreal and has our story.

(05/27/04) We've been hearing this week about the shortage of affordable housing in the North Country. In many communities, local governments and activist groups are getting organized, looking for solutions. In the Tri-Lakes area, Adirondack Habitat for Humanity has launched an effort to salvage abandoned houses. As Chris Knight reports, it's a way for low-income families to buy their own home. It's also a boost for struggling neighborhoods.

(05/26/04) For many poor or working class families, home often comes in the form of a small apartment or trailer. Even in the best cases, these rentals are nothing fancy: a bedroom or two, a small kitchen, a bathroom. But housing experts say more and more of the region's low-cost apartments are so squalid that they're actually unhealthy or unsafe. Brian Mann has this profile of Saranac Lake, where dozens of the worst apartment buildings are owned by a handful of landlords.

(05/25/04) As we've been hearing this week, homelessness in northern New York can mean many things. People stay as long as they can with relatives or several families might share a small trailer. But social workers and care providers say more and more people are literally winding up on the streets. In Franklin County, a consortium of aid groups is working to measure the number of truly homeless people. They're also working with landlords to help provide low-cost apartments. Nancy Reich is head of Comlinks, a regional housing authority based in Malone. She says even with subsidies, affordable apartments are harder than ever to find. Reich spoke with Brian Mann.

(05/24/04) In part one of our series 'Close to Homeless', David Sommerstein reports on a family in Dickinson Center in Franklin County who have experienced the most persistent kind of rural homelessness: chronic transiency.