Former Homeless Panel Chair Voices Concerns on New Advisory Committee
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The chairman of the former homeless committee has concerns about transparency and governing within the newly established Homeless Advisory Committee and believes Chairwoman Kim Borden's ambiguous speech addressing disrespect within the panel was "out of line."
Edward Carmel, who had been chair of the rescinded Homelessness Prevention Committee, identified himself as the target of Borden's comments in last week's HAC meeting and told iBerkshires that two agenda items he attempted to submit were the reason for her testimony.
"I'm looking out for the other residents," he said. "I am a huge advocate of helping homeless because I was homeless and it's just not right, we're just not doing it right and they won't take suggestions from nobody."
Carmel requested that committee member and director of operations at ServiceNet Erin Forbush recuse herself from meetings until an investigation is conducted on the conditions of ServiceNet's emergency homeless shelter at the former St. Joseph's High School. He also requested that the committee includes an open microphone at all meetings to allow community members and those experiencing homelessness to speak.
His intent was reportedly not to remove Forbush from the panel, but to have an unbiased investigation that he sees as imperative to aiding the city's homeless population.
"What you're hearing and what I'm hearing, it's totally different out here, that place right is just, I hate to put it like that, but it's a breeding ground for disease," Carmel said in regard to the shelter. "And I'm not blaming the homeless residents, I'm blaming ServiceNet for doing this, and not finding a permanent place. All we've been doing for the last four or five years is temporary temporary temporary temporary."
The City Council in December approved Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Maffuccio's petition to investigate claims of abuse and poor conditions at the St. Joseph's shelter run by ServiceNet but there has since been no word on the matter.
"As a chairperson, your obligations that are taught are to watch the City Council meeting so if anything is on there that pertains to your commission or your committee, you can address it at the meeting," Carmel said. "Well, obviously [Borden] didn't watch it."
In response to Carmel's request that Forbush recuses herself, Borden reportedly responded that she "will not recognize any communication, discussion, or proposed action by an individual member or the community as a whole to public shame or humiliate a member of the community."
"I'm not out to publicly shame nobody," Carmel said, explaining that he felt Forbush's position with ServiceNet was a conflict of interest.
There is no ruling in the City Charter that requires community input, but it is encouraged and most panels include an input session in their meetings. Carmel will be bringing a petition to City Council and to Mayor Linda Tyer requesting the implementation of an open microphone, he said, and the next step will be contacting the attorney general.
"I'm not criticizing any one individual," He said. "I'm just saying what the chair is forced to do."
In the past year, the homelessness panel has experienced internal and external issues.
In 2018, Councilors Melissa Mazzeo and Helen Moon signed Carmel's petition to re-enact the city's homelessness panel. But last fall, the City Council asked for productivity reports from the committee in the form of four petitions but Carmel responded that he wasn't getting information from local service providers.
The committee was also criticized for a lack of meetings during the onset of the pandemic.
"We didn't meet for seven or eight months," Carmel said. "And I had asked the member of the Community Development to help me and they said, 'oh it's not a good time because of the pandemic.'"
In December, the Homelessness Prevention Committee chaired by Carmel was rescinded and replaced with a Homelessness Advisory Committee of which Borden was voted as chair. Carmel believes this re-establishment of the panel to be an act against him, citing a "clique" between city officials that he is not a part of.
Nonetheless, Carmel asserted that he is "not going anywhere" and will remain on the committee.
"I will continue to ruffle the bushes and get down to some straight stuff here," he said. "the bottom line here is the homeless need homes."
Tags: homeless,
