Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Advocates Seek Shelter For Homeless As Winter Approaches

In December of 2014, the City of Rochester ordered the tent encampment, home to dozens of chronically homeless people, be cleaned up.
City of Rochester
In December of 2014, the City of Rochester ordered the tent encampment, home to dozens of chronically homeless people, be cleaned up.

A cohort of community and faith leaders have organized in support of Rochester's homeless, and their main priority is shelter from the cold winter months.

The organization is called REACH: Rochester Emergency Action Committee for the Homeless. Peter W. Peters is a retired priest, and a member of their steering committee.

"What we want to do is go to the County Legislature to alert them to the fact that there is now a broad, based citizen support for the care for the homeless."

Peters says they are testifying before the Monroe County Legislature to hold the lawmakers accountable for helping to shelter the homeless in the winter months.

"It's our understanding that the state constitution requires local administrations to care for the indigent. Whatever their lot in life is, that they have the right to some form of shelter from the extreme weathers that we experience up here."

Peters says as the weather gets colder, their time to figure out solutions gets shorter.

He says they estimate there are between fifty to seventy five people in need of shelter, who are unable to go to other city shelters for various reasons.

The House of Mercy is expected to open a facility to house them, but not before this winter.

Peters says they are trying to avoid a winter like last year, where the closing of the Civic Center Garage and the tent encampment under the Douglass-Anthony Bridge displaced a number of homeless people, twice, and left them vulnerable to the elements.

Veronica Volk is a senior editor and producer for WXXI News.