Family Promise of WNY defends proposed homeless shelter
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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- The issue of homelessness is a growing problem, not only across the country but also here in Buffalo. A local agency wants to add another emergency shelter, but not everyone is in favor.
Family Promise of Western New York, which has been around for years, wants to build that new shelter. It currently offers a small emergency shelter for homeless families on the city's East Side. Family Promise of WNY is one of just two emergency homeless shelters in Erie County.
Now the organization is proposing to build an emergency shelter on East Ferry Street near Jefferson Avenue. It would cost nearly $7 million. It would be a shelter with 20,000 square feet and would provide 40 additional beds along with a fenced-in playground.
That proposed emergency shelter was discussed Monday by the Buffalo Planning Board. The Buffalo Planning Board has approved the proposal, which will go to the Zoning Board of Appeals for the next step in the approval process.
"We've been around for over 25 years. We're a New York state certified program, and what we do is take families who have fallen on hard times and who have lost housing, stabilize them and get them home back in our community," said Luanne Firestone, executive director of Family Promise of WNY.
But some residents are concerned about the possibility of quality of life issues in the community and a potential increase in traffic and noise, among other issues.
Homelessness in the United States is a growing crisis. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the number of people from 2019-23 who entered emergency shelter for the first time increased more than 23 percent. In the proposed new shelter, Family Promise said it would provide up to eight families, or up to 40 people at a time, with shelter.
Over the weekend, Family Promise held an open house in an effort to calm fears in the community about the proposed shelter.
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Jeff Preval is an award-winning anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in December 2021. See more of his work here.