GREENFIELD — As the number of homeless residents on the Greenfield Common grows, city officials and service agencies are trying to do more to bring help to those affected.
The city held a resource fair for homeless residents as a way to connect them to services that may assist them in finding homes and help.
The fair was announced in response to a growing number of homeless residents camping on the Common, and Mayor William Martin wanted the event to show that the city is aware of the issue.
“We want to be sure everyone knows where their next resource is and put them at ease that they are recognized,” Martin said.
A number of social, housing and rehabilitation services set up tables and paper materials with information on what they offer, surrounding the portion of the Common where homeless residents have made a home.
Several city officials meandered through the Common, talking with homeless residents and others.
Rain came down at times, but in spite of that, attendees said the fair was able to provide information.
“I know the services are out there, but I never spoke to anyone about them. I’m much happier knowing what services are available,” said Patricia Culver, a homeless resident who lives in her car in Greenfield.
Culver said she has been homeless since 2015, after she was evicted from an apartment in Royalston. She said because of the eviction and poor credit, she and her husband haven’t been able to find a place to live. She has since come to Greenfield because “you’re treated better here than in other towns.”
She said they have been looking to live in a motor home and have spoken with representatives of ServiceNet, a mental health and human services agency in the region.
Other agencies at the fair included the Recovery Center, which helps with rehabilitation services in Greenfield, the Franklin Hampshire Career Center, which provides employment support services, and the Greenfield Housing Authority.
Madelynn Malloy, who was profiled in a recent article about the homeless residents on the Common and has become the “mama bear” of them, said the fair was helpful but its reach was limited.
“I don’t know if it was beneficial to a lot of people. But if it can help one person, then it’s done its job,” she said.
She said part of the issue is that some people won’t seek out the help even if it is provided.
“There are people who are just going to be homeless,” Malloy said. “People actually trying to do something were here.”
Martin said the fair was helpful in providing information, but unfortunately provided “no immediate solutions that the people on the Common need.”
He said the city will continue to work toward a solution, with efforts including a roundtable discussion with several service agencies next Tuesday.
The city has had difficulty with controlling who is on the Common because there is no law or ordinance about camping on the Common and no time limit for how long someone can be there.
Those on the Common are not considered loiterers because the city’s ordinance on loitering specifically applies to obstructing sidewalks.