Why is the homeless population so large in Uniondale?

Residents in Uniondale and Hempstead may wonder why homeless people seem more visible lately occupying spaces like parks, churchyards, or public parking garages.

Officials of the county, the town, and a major soup kitchen all provide some answers.

Anissa Moore, the deputy county supervisor for the Department of Health and Human Services, said that one factor may be a recent change in the county’s ability to place homeless people in housing.

Early in 2022, just before County Executive Bruce Blakeman appointed Moore to her position, the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal took away the Section 8 voucher contract from Nassau County and awarded it to a nonprofit group, Community Development Corporation of Long Island.

CDCLI is now responsible to administrate the housing vouchers for both Suffolk and Nassau counties. Its main office is in Melville and a satellite office exists at 250 Fulton Avenue in Hempstead Village.

Moore said that, according to her constituents, “CDCLI is not being responsive to calls, and in terms of CDCLI reaching out to residents, it’s not happening.”

Moore felt that CDCLI’s electronic application format hinders the process for many.

“When our department had the program,” Moore said, “we focused on Nassau County residents, who could come to 40 Main Street in Hempstead Village, and interact with staff hands-on. Now, if you are not savvy about going on the smartphone and filling out the forms, you can’t apply with CDCLI. People are suffering as a result.”

Moore said the county can provide emergency housing for both temporarily and chronically homeless people—helpful, if not the same as long-term housing. Unfortunately, some places take in the homeless without having been certified through the county, causing regulatory headaches when abuses surface.

To provide more help, Moore said, the county is restructuring its Homeless Intervention Team. Team members will go in small groups to help homeless persons on the spot with information and direct assistance.

Moore has also developed the Nassau County Mobile Crisis Team, which responds to calls about persons in the midst of a mental health crisis.

The Town of Hempstead has a housing program, but it does not place Section 8 applicants, said Casey Sammon, of the town’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs.

“In 2020, our Section 8 housing program was transferred to Nassau County,” Sammon said. “We have housing complexes for the elderly and limited-income, and we work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to place people in them. We don’t operate homeless shelters.”

One of the county’s largest and most successfully managed nonprofit organizations is the 40-year-old Mary Brennan INN Soup Kitchen at 100 Madison Avenue in Hempstead Village. Its main priority is its food program, but it is also concerned with homelessness.

Patricia Martin-Husbands, director of Guest Services & Long-Term Housing for The INN, said that requests for food, clothing, and housing have continuously increased ever since the pandemic shutdowns in March 2020.

“We work directly with Nassau County Social Services, who place families and individuals in our shelters,” said Martin Husbands.

Asked what is done for undocumented immigrants, Martin-Husbands said, “The INN helps anyone who comes seeking help regardless of race, age, religious denomination, ethnicity or citizenship status. Because we are a private nonprofit, we do not require anyone seeking our assistance to provide a Social Security number when registering for membership.”

Undocumented persons are not eligible for government benefits at any level, said Marin-Husbands, but, “If a person indicates that they might be eligible to receive federal, state or county benefits, we help refer them to the Nassau County Department of Social Services for additional assistance.”