Summary
The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve the purchase of a 1.4 acre parcel of land at 96-116 Ballston Avenue in Saratoga Springs, NY and signed an agreement that will enable Shelters of Saratoga to build, operate, and maintain a Code Blue winter shelter facility for those facing homelessness.
We are excited to announce a critical milestone toward establishing a permanent Code Blue shelter after operating multiple temporary locations over the past ten years.
The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors has voted to approve the purchase of land at 96 – 116 Ballston Avenue in Saratoga Springs and has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Shelters of Saratoga to site and operate a permanent Code Blue NYS-mandated winter shelter on the property. The design, construction, maintenance, and operation of the new facility will be the responsibility of Shelters of Saratoga.
The Code Blue program offers overnight shelter through the winter, along with support services for those guests who choose to seek additional help. The new shelter will provide stability for these essential services, the opportunity to improve health and housing outcomes, and help ensure the safety and well-being for its participants, staff and volunteers.
The approval to purchase the property represents a vital step in our decade-long effort to establish a permanent Code Blue location. The commitment by the County and Shelters of Saratoga represents a forward-thinking, cost-saving investment, providing stability for the program while eliminating the time, cost and resource-intensive process to locate a viable location every winter season.
We deeply appreciate the ongoing support from our community and look forward to sharing in the near future more details about our site plans, and how we will be working closely with the County, the City, and our community to identify any additional appropriate uses for the facility.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: August 15, 2024
SARATOGA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS LAW & FINANCE COMMITTEE VOTES TO RECOMMEND COUNTY BUY PROPERTY FOR PERMANENT CODE BLUE SHELTER
The Full Board to Vote on the Resolution at its August Board Meeting
BALLSTON SPA, NY – The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Law & Finance Committee, on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, voted to move a resolution forward to authorize the County to purchase property for a permanent Code Blue Shelter in the City of Saratoga Springs.
The resolution now advances for a vote by the full Board of Supervisors at its August 20th Board Meeting.
Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman, Phil Barrett (Clifton Park) said, “It has been a longstanding goal of Saratoga County to develop a comprehensive, sustainable solution to address homelessness within the County. The purchase of this property will provide those in need with a permanent location to seek shelter during harsh winter weather and will allow the county to more easily provide a transparent budgeting process for the costs of running the Code Blue program. I thank our Law & Finance Committee, the County Department of Social Services, the City of Saratoga Springs, and Shelters of Saratoga for working together to effectuate this plan of action, which has broad support of our local elected officials.”
The resolution authorizes the County to purchase a 1.4-acre parcel at 96 Ballston Ave in Saratoga Springs for approximately $3 million. The County will enter a long-term lease with Shelters of Saratoga, which will build and operate the shelter. Shelters of Saratoga currently provides the County’s Code Blue services.
In the past, the County has contracted with area motels to act as Code Blue shelters with several locations being leased. Currently, the County has one location under lease for the upcoming season. Chairman Barrett has expressed concern that location options are becoming limited, and this model of operation may soon become cost-prohibitive for the County.
The proposed location is near the Saratoga County Mental Health facility and on a bus line, making it easily accessible and convenient for those who may seek services from the County’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and provides the opportunity to build one space adequate for the needs of the unhoused community as well as the operational needs of the program.
Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Law & Finance Chairman, Matthew Veitch (Saratoga Springs) said, “With rising costs and fewer hotels or motels available to utilize for Code Blue shelters, this purchase is a sound investment for the County and an ideal location to help those in need. Shelters of Saratoga has been a strong partner in providing our code blue services and we look forward to continuing our long-standing work with Duane and his team to provide these essential services to some of the most vulnerable among us. I also thank Mayor Safford and his team for working with the County and Shelters to realize our goal for a lasting Code Blue solution.”
Mayor of Saratoga Springs John F. Safford said, “We are very excited to announce that, after many months of collaboration, a permanent code blue location has been secured by Saratoga County. The city has been coordinating with the county and the many service providers in Saratoga Springs to build a comprehensive approach to address the addictions, mental health and the unhoused-populations in our area. A permanent code blue shelter will be a significant step in our city/county initiative to address the needs of our unhoused-population, because it will be built to provide services that are difficult to make available in temporary locations. In particular I want to thank Supervisor Barrett, County Administrator Steve Bulger, Commissioner Maxwell, Supervisor Veitch, and Supervisor Madigan, RISE, SOS and the Prevention Council for helping to make this happen.”
Executive Director of Shelters of Saratoga Duane J. Vaughn said, “Shelters of Saratoga is proud to continue the wonderful relationship with Saratoga County in working towards solving the complex issue of homelessness for our county’s most vulnerable populations. With this collaboration, Shelters of Saratoga will be better equipped to serve homeless individuals during the most brutal conditions of Upstate NY winters with a safe, and secure Code Blue center.”
New York State law 18 NYCRR § 304.1 states a Code Blue alert must be called when temperatures are expected to fall below 32˚F with wind chill for at least two consecutive hours, based on the local forecast issued by the National Weather Service for the city, town or village within the district that is known to have the largest population of unsheltered homeless persons.
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this is wonderful , and certainly help those in need.