The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently released its 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report: Part 1: Point-in-Time Estimates.

It’s results aren’t surprising, at least not to those who have been paying attention to what’s been happening in Jamestown over the past year. The annual snapshot of the number of individuals in shelters, temporary housing, and unsheltered settings found more than 770,000 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2024, an 18% increase from 2023.

Believe it or not, it’s actually not comforting to know Jamestown isn’t alone – it’s incredibly frustrating. The federal data points to multiple policy failures that are leading to an explosion of homeless populations across the country. It means, despite assurances to the contrary over the past several years, that the economy isn’t working for everyone. Rising homelessness indicates a complete failure of the housing market and wages that aren’t covering expenses that are increasing at a faster rate than incomes.

Macroeconomic issues are leaving local taxpayers holding the bag. Jamestown has spent $100,000 to clean up homeless encampments while also spending tens of thousands of dollars in staff time on homeless issues over the past year. County taxpayers are on an even bigger hook – safety net spending will end up at about $11,250,000 in 2024, $4.5 million more than originally budgeted. As of December, the county was providing temporary housing to nearly 200 people, which is more than it ever has. The state and federal governments pay a set percentage of the county’s safety net costs, but otherwise additional aid has been hard to come by even as the state has spent billions to help New York City with migrant assistance over the past couple of years.

One thing is clear – Chautauqua County taxpayers are bearing the brunt of efforts to help the homeless, and Jamestown taxpayers are getting hit twice. Something needs to happen, because the path we’re on isn’t sustainable. The state and federal governments paying a higher percentage of these costs would help – but that simply shifts the cost burden rather than solves the problem.

We need more permanent, affordable housing. We need more jobs that can better sustain people who live paycheck to paycheck. We need to find a way to provide mental health and addiction counseling.

The financial costs of homelessness to taxpayers are a problem for the city and county. The human toll is astronomical – and it’s a cost we will continue to pay until state and federal partners come to the table to help local governments nd nonprofit organizations that are finding themselves pushed to their limit.

The homeless aren’t camped out in Brooklyn Square, but we’ve fallen for that mirage before. Anyone visiting some areas of the city encounter panhandlers or see people holding signs asking for help. You see shopping carts where they don’t belong. Garbage shows up in areas where it shouldn’t be. Properties with orange “Do Not Occupy” signs show signs of people trying to live in them. All are signs of a homelessness problem that continues unabated when Code Blue shelter hours end.

So let’s not think we’ve solved the homelessness problem. More needs to be done – and we need additional partners to take their seats at the table.