Syracuse, N.Y. (NCC News) – According to the Housing and Homelessness Coalition of Central New York’s Annual State of Homelessness for 2021, the number of people experiencing homelessness in Onondaga County has decreased nearly 32% from 3603 people in 2018, to 2460 people in 2020. While this decrease means that there are less homeless individuals living on Onondaga County streets, in some areas, such as Syracuse’s Marshall Street, this decrease is not evident. Homeless individuals maintain a strong presence on Marshall Street, so much so, that they impact the businesses in that area.
Eric, an employee of Syracuse staple and student favorite Varsity Pizza, stated “they’re all over the place,” regarding the homeless on Marshall Street— “and it only gets worse in the summer.” “A lot of them get themselves committed for the wintertime so they have a warm bed…I’ve got to kick them out all day. When I put the tables and chairs out front, it gets even worse—they just want to stand out front. It’s terrible.”
Onondaga County is home to over 50 institutions that provide shelter and support to those who find themselves homeless. Among these institutions is the Catholic Charities of Onondaga Men’s Shelter on South Clinton Street in Syracuse, which can host up to 100 men struggling with homelessness every night. With so much help available to homeless individuals, it may be difficult to understand why so many of them remain on the streets. Rashem, an employee of the Catholic Charities Onondaga Men’s Shelter, is confident in the support organizations like his provide: “[Our] staff is [always] trying their best to help… [the homeless] out.” While this support exists, Rashem says that many homeless people fail to seek help it. “Some of them just want to keep doing what they’re doing…if you want to get help, yes, the staff is there to help, but you have to be able to help yourself as well. It always takes two.”
The decline of homelessness in Onondaga County is encouraging, and with so many organizations in place to help combat the issue, one can be optimistic that homelessness will continue to decline in the years to come. However, until those who are homeless choose to take advantage of the resources and assistance at their disposal, places like Varsity Pizza will continue to deal with the challenges that some homeless individuals present to their businesses.
