County officials plan to buy a 3.5-acre property at 96-116 Ballston Ave. (Route 50) in Saratoga Springs for about $3 million and then lease it to Shelters of Saratoga, which will build and operate the shelter, according to a county news release. Code Blue is a state order that requires counties to provide emergency shelter to people when temperatures are expected to fall below zero degrees Celsius.
“Shelters of Saratoga is proud to continue the wonderful relationship with Saratoga County and work to solve the complex problem of homelessness for our county’s most vulnerable populations,” said Duane Vaughn, Executive Director of Shelters of Saratoga. “With this collaboration, Shelters of Saratoga will be better equipped with a secure Code Blue center to serve the homeless during the most brutal winter conditions in upstate New York.”
Phil Barrett, chairman of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, said the county’s goal is to find a permanent solution to Code Blue, which has been used at many different locations in the Spa City since it opened a decade ago.
“The purchase of this property will provide those in need with a permanent place to seek shelter during the harsh winter weather and will allow the county to more easily create a transparent budgeting process for the costs of the Code Blue program,” he said. “I thank our Legal and Finance Committee, the County Department of Social Services, the City of Saratoga Springs and Shelters of Saratoga for their cooperation in implementing this action plan, which has broad support from our local elected officials.”
During the last Code Blue season, Shelters of Saratoga utilized the former Grand Union Motel at 120 South Broadway at the south entrance to downtown Saratoga Springs. The motel was the fifth new Code Blue location in 10 years of operation in the Spa City.
Ten years after woman’s death, Saratoga Springs is still looking for permanent housing for the homeless (12/2023)
“With rising costs and fewer hotels or motels available for Code Blue emergency shelters, this purchase is a solid investment for the county and an ideal location to help those in need,” said Saratoga Springs Supervisor Matthew Veitch. “Shelters of Saratoga has been a strong partner in providing our Code Blue services and we look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with Duane and his team to provide these important services to some of the most vulnerable among us. I also thank Mayor Safford and his team for working with the county and Shelters to achieve our goal of a permanent Code Blue solution.”
During the 2023-24 Code Blue season, the shelters provided shelter to 309 people. The year before, the shelters helped 273 people. An estimated 20 more people are housed in motels each year, authorities said.
If purchased, the new location would be on CDTA bus route 450, one of the busiest bus routes in the CDTA network, and according to Google, it would be just a five- to seven-minute walk from the nearby county mental health hospital on South Broadway.
The site would also be just a four-minute walk from RISE Housing and Support Services, which works with the homeless community to help them find housing and other services.
Finding a way to help the community’s homeless has been a daunting undertaking for local advocacy groups and the city. For years, there has been debate about where in the city to locate a 24-hour homeless shelter. Several previous proposals have faced community opposition and even legal challenges, and the issue has been a political hot potato.
“The City has coordinated with the County and the many service providers in Saratoga Springs to develop a comprehensive approach to address substance use disorder, mental health issues and homelessness in our area,” said Safford, the Spa City Mayor. “A permanent Code Blue emergency shelter will be an important step in our City/County initiative to meet the needs of our homeless population as it is designed to provide services that are difficult to obtain at temporary sites. In particular, I would like to thank Supervisor Barrett, County Administrator Steve Bulger, Commissioner Maxwell, Supervisor Veitch and Supervisor Madigan, RISE, SOS and the Prevention Council for helping to make this possible.”
There is currently one building on the property, the former Ginley & Gorman law firm. Barrett said no decision has been made about the building’s use.
Ten years after woman’s death, Saratoga Springs is still looking for permanent housing for the homeless (12/2023)
Saratoga Springs Code Blue Shelter is ready to open for the season (10/2023)
Saratoga Springs announces new Code Blue location in former Grand Union Motel (6/2023)
