Homeless Shelter being Quietly Ushered along by Fulton leadership

by Contributor | July 25, 2024 7:04 pm

1st ward residents can expect big changes to the Seventh Day Adventist convent building located at 45 W 4th street in Fulton. The proposed men’s shelter is associated with Victory Transformation, a non-profit organization with an office at 24 E Oneida street in Oswego. In a letter sent to Fulton residents, the proposed facility will house homeless men and their families, and offer various levels of 24-hour support and supervision. A public presentation is to be held this Thursday July 25th, at 6pm at the Seventh Day Adventist church.
The letter also makes reference to conversations between the mayor, planning board, council members, and area pastors. This sentence is of particular concern, as none of these conversations have been listed on any council or planning board agenda dating back to January of this year. The lack of transparency has kept community members in the dark, with little chance to voice their opinion. The city thus far has hoped to pass this proposed facility as quietly as possible, with little to no community input.
Victory Transformation promotes itself as a reform facility offering a hand-up, not a hand-out. According to their 2020 annual report, they offered shelter to 69 men at their Oswego facility, with approximately 40% of those being kicked out due to drug/alcohol and/or probation violations. 2020 is the last year of their annual reporting, with requests for more recent data ignored. Victory Transformation also has not committed to supporting those struggling locally, and deflects any questions about where its candidates are coming from. Although I am not personally opposed to accessible housing, I am of the belief that it should not require bringing in homeless from outside our already struggling city. I encourage 1st ward residents to research your new neighbor, because city leadership clearly has not. The silence from city officials on this topic is deafening, and leaves this 1st ward resident extremely pessimistic about the future of our city.

Sean Latulipe
Former member, Fulton Planning Board

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/homeless-shelter-being-quietly-ushered-along-by-fulton-leadership/

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