Transitional Housing Location Squashed
1 min readAmid a handful of ‘Not in My Backyard’ complaints, Cameron County Transitional Housing location nixed
EMPORIUM – A motel about half a mile north of Emporium on the Sizerville Road was original slated to be used as a transitional housing facility for some inmates trying to clean up their acts and beat addiction problems.
After some local residents in the area complained, officials scrapped that plan, and now talk of Cameron County pulling out completely is on the table.
Roughly 20 to 25 people attended a meeting on Thursday in Ridgway, which included project partners and two County Commissioners from Cameron and Elk counties.
Cameron County Commissioner Glen Fiebig now opposes the plan, and says, “The citizens have spoken. I don’t feel our county should be involved”.
Feibig says he wants it set in stone that the facility will not be located in Cameron County.
Feibig also said that if he “doesn’t see a drastic change,” he will make a motion to drop the county’s financial support, some $31,720.51.
A location in Cameron County has not been completely ruled out however, and locations in Elk and Potter counties are also being considered.
There is a County Commissioner’s meeting today at noon to discuss the program further.
We will have more details later today.
I can’t believe that people are so insensitive to others in need. These addicts in this area are so in need of alternate housing and help. This is such an outrage. People act like having such a home in any area would hurt their value of their land instead of being helpful to those in need of rehabilitation. Such a facility would give people with addiction a chance at a normal life. I am sure it would be somewhat guarded so that the people in recovery would not be rooming around the community and finding trouble. The people who rejected this should be very ashamed of themselves.
I agree.
It seems the Commissioners there in Cameron county would rather the inmates be returned to whatever downtown housing they came from…where they’re likely to just pick up the old pipe and keep on doing what landed them in jail in the first place.
Amazing their scared of a few inmates in a controlled housing, but seems they don’t care if those same inmates were just turned back loose into society wherever they came from.
Youd think these people would realize the current system isnt’ working.
well spoken phil!!!
Unfortunately rehabilitating a person hurts the court system and they want their money. You know the more a person is charged and sent to court the more money they get in fines, etc. Too bad greed outweighs helping a person.