Bill OBoyle: Homeless resources are improving, but more needs to be done
Sep. 29—WILKES-BARRE — When you drive by the Keystone Mission homeless shelter, you can see first-hand that there is a real problem in Luzerne County.
You can see the clients sitting outside the shelter and on the sidewalks below and in the back of the building.
They are there because they have no place else to go.
They can walk over to Jackson Street when the soup kitchen opens and get a hot meal. And they do that. They need that.
They can walk aimlessly around the city's downtown, pausing to sit on a bench and talk about the world as they see it. Their existence is dependent on handouts, free meals, a place to sleep and little hope for a meaningful life that many of them once had.
That is, until they found alcohol or drugs, or they lost a job, or they were evicted or, well, any number of reasons.
Whatever those reasons are, the situation is not getting much better despite a concerted effort to try.
This week, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough said no person who has served this country should ever have to experience homelessness.
"As a result of this year's efforts, more than 43,000 formerly homeless veterans now have access to the homes that they deserve," McDonough said. "And make no mistake — we won't rest until every veteran has a safe, stable, accessible, and affordable home to call their own."
As part of that national news release, the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center announced that it has housed 217 veterans experiencing homelessness in its 19-county service area this fiscal year.
And they released some statistics:
—A total of 94% of these veterans have not returned to homelessness.
—169 unsheltered veterans in the network have been engaged to ensure they have access to the housing and other wraparound services they need.
Nationally, during this same time period, the VA said it housed 43,116 veterans experiencing homelessness — surpassing its fiscal year 2024 goal to house 41,000 veterans a month earlier than anticipated.
The VA report stated that a total of 96.3% of the veterans housed have not returned to homelessness, and 38,476 unsheltered veterans have been engaged nationally.
If that is true, then there may be hope for seriously addressing — and reducing — the amount of homeless people in our society.
As a result of the VA's efforts, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has fallen by over 4% since early 2020 — and by more than 52% since 2010.
Secretary McDonough said the VA's efforts to combat veteran homelessness are grounded in reaching out to homeless veterans, understanding their unique needs, and addressing them.
He said these efforts are built on the evidence-based "Housing First" approach, which prioritizes getting a veteran into housing, then providing or connecting them with the wraparound services and supports they need to stay housed, including health care, job training, legal and education assistance, and more.
The VA's approach needs to be duplicated everywhere — like here in Luzerne County.
Yes, Keystone Mission is helping, as is Mayor George Brown. In July, Keystone Mission officially opened its new overnight shelter in the Wilkes-Barre Innovation Center for Homeless and Poverty, located at 90 E. Union St., where individuals experiencing homelessness now have a safe place to rest for the night, as well as access to other services such as showers, meals and more.
Funding for the shelter, which will be open from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. every day, was made possible due to a $109,500 grant from the city's American Rescue Plan funds, which was approved by Wilkes-Barre City Council in April.
The grant will cover the cost of staffing for an entire year, after which the Keystone Mission will add that cost into its yearly budget in order for the shelter to stay in operation.
"This is something that is definitely needed for this community, and we're grateful to the city for stepping up to the task and making sure individuals can come to a place where they can get services not just during the day, but having shelter at night," said Keystone Mission CEO and Executive Director Danielle Keith-Alexandre during the grand opening.
The shelter can house up to 50 guests a night and is open to men, women and children experiencing homelessness in the area. The shelter also has a private room for families.
According to Brown, the overnight shelter will officially replace the city's Code Blue shelter that operated from October to March.
This overnight shelter is the newest service offered at the Innovation Center for Homelessness and Poverty, which officially opened its doors in October 2023.
Other resources offered at the facility include continental breakfast, laundry services during the day, and emergency clothing.
Keystone Mission also helps guests obtain a government ID, such as a driver's license, and gain skills to build up their resumes through its Pathfinders program.
Mayor Brown has said that services like the ones provided by Keystone Mission are vital in helping people get back on their feet and reintegrate into society.
It's all a move in the right direction, but there are those who can't— or won't— navigate the system, so they settle for a free meal and a place to sleep in areas where they will not be detected.
Like in those tent camps along the river that were removed this summer by the city. Mayor Brown's administration also notified the appropriate local agencies of the city's plan in the event they would like to be of assistance during that process.
"The current situation needs to be remedied," Mayor Brown said. "It presents significant health and welfare issues for area residents who use the park and city first responders who receive frequent calls to that area."
Help is available and it must be administered.
Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
