Broome County is looking to partner with an organization on an initiative to solve homelessness in the area, with a focus on eliminating the use of motel shelters for unhoused people.
Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said during a May 26 press conference that this is not to be confused with a study or the establishment of a shelter but a “plan of action” to create a modernized homelessness response system.
Up to $200,000 will be used from Broome County opioid settlement funds to initially hire an organization for a two-year contract. As time permits there will be solutions introduced at an expense and others that will require no money at all.
The initiative is divided into three parts: short-term solutions (like exclusive agreements with landlords), which can take months, medium-term solutions, more along the lines of a year, and long-term solutions (like the construction of a tiny-home village).
Areas of expertise for organizations interested in applying include:
Over the last nine years, Broome County has spent millions on motel placement from local and state funds, a number that started out at $358,000 in 2018 and has skyrocketed to $9.5 million in 2025. At this rate, Garner said, “the math ain’t mathin’ the way we are doing it right now.”
Broome County Commissioner of the Department of Social Services Nancy Williams said the county has spent roughly $6 million so far in 2026 for motel placement for individuals and families across the eight locations with which they are contracted.
When the department’s Temporary Housing Assistance program was introduced, it was created with the intention of being a pipeline to permanent housing. Williams is hopeful that, through this new approach, there will be more opportunities for adults in hotel placement.
“Hotels and motels were never designed to solve homelessness,” Garnar said, adding the emergency response is expensive, isolating, unstable and overall ineffective for counties across the state.
Since 2021, Broome County has created more than 600 units of housing, not including the 872 units that are currently under construction. In 2026, there are 428 units expected to break ground.
With over 800 units waiting for funding, Garnar said Broome County is one-third of the way toward its unit goal of 6,000 after a 2023 housing study that highlighted the “current and future demand.”
Even with the additional housing, Garnar said development is not addressing the issue at its root, and housing projects often take years to complete.
Collaboration efforts on the county level among different departments like social services, health, mental health, planning and economic development will continue to address the housing crisis.
A spotlight has been shone on local housing issues in recent weeks after 45-year-old Peter Bennedum, who was unhoused, was fatally beaten while walking in downtown Binghamton. While Bennedum’s death was not mentioned during the press conference, Garnar said housing is always a topic of conversation.
Solving the issue of homelessness goes beyond providing a room, Garnar said. “It’s solved by helping people regain stability, structure, treatment, employment and hope.”
A pre-proposal meeting will be held on June 9 for interested organizations to learn more about the initiative and how to get involved.
The contract award and overall launch of the new initiative are expected to begin in the summer.
Questions about the RFP must be submitted by June 12 to carolyn.secor@broomecountyny.gov and county.executive@broomecountyny.gov.
Kalyn Grant reports on public service issues for the Press & Sun-Bulletin, focusing on schools and community impact. Have a story to share? Follow her on Instagram @KalynCarmen and on Facebook under Kalyn Kearney. Get in touch at KCGrant@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Broome County launches RFP to eliminate motel shelter housing
Reporting by Kalyn Grant, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
