JAMESTOWN, N.Y. (WKBW) — Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist says homelessness is the worst it has been in years. Mayor Sundquist says the most recent census shows the homeless population has more than doubled. He's working with the County Homeless Coalition and others to make sure everyone has a safe place to go when they need shelter.
John Graham knows what it's like to be homeless and to battle addiction. He says he's been homeless, "since 2012 when my mom died." Graham explains, "The only thing hard about being homeless to me was not being around my family because of my own life decisions."
Like many others in Jamestown, John has been living on the streets, in and out of shelters. Sundquist says the homeless population in his town has more than doubled over the last 2 years. He says there are now about 70 homeless people living in Jamestown.
The mayor says he talks to those living on the streets often and, "A lot of them are saying that there may be a substance abuse issue. They're admitting it. They're having a conversation about it. Some have said it's an issue of just getting a job and others just fully acknowledge that they're much happier just living outside."
Many could be stuck outside this winter because the mayor says there are only three main shelters in Jamestown and not enough beds for everyone. "We've got one that's men only. It fits about 20 beds, we have a women and children and domestic violence shelter, and we have a space for youth," says Sundquist.
He tells me he's working with numerous organizations and churches to fix that and try to prevent people from squatting in old, abandoned homes and buildings.
Thankfully, John Graham has found shelter and the help he needed to get clean. Graham says, "I had more to give, and I was tired of living that life." Graham says he has been clean for months and it feels great. He hopes others learn from his story to never give up, "it's possible to have a better life just put in some effort and then you'll see a difference in yourself."
Liz Witherspoon also knows what it's like to experience homelessness. She was a young mother when she was homeless. She remembers not being able to provide the basic necessities like diapers and formula for her baby girl. She recalls, "I didn't have baby shampoo and all these people that were in the same position I was, went out to dollar general and got me everything I needed. I just remember I've never been shown that kind of compassion in my life."
Although it was a challenging time, she says she wouldn't be where she is today if she didn't go through it. Liz explains, "It was a super tough experience but at the same time very necessary to my life to move forward because everyone that was at the shelter was so helpful and it inspired me to be what I am today."
She's now a case manager at UCAN city mission. One of only 3 main homeless shelters in Jamestown.
Josiah Lamp is the Housing Director at Chautauqua Opportunities working with other organizations to provide more options for the homeless. They are in the process of opening up another shelter in Jamestown for women and children. Lamp says, "This project is a Chautauqua women's shelter. It's an 18-bed shelter for single women we don't have that type of shelter currently in our county."
It's expected to cost anywhere from 2 to 3 million and open in 2023 on Lafayette Street. City officials are also working on emergency shelter locations for the winter.
Lamp says, "You never give up on somebody, but they have to be ready many people are dealing with and part of the story with homelessness is some have mental health challenges some are dealing with addictions." Liz Witherspoon is happy to now be in a position to help others and explains, "It's ok if they're using at the time we are still going to help them. It's ok if they've had a reoccurrence or relapse. We're still going to help them."
