Mount Vernon, To outsiders, Westchester County is a picture of suburban success , manicured lawns, quiet streets, and some of the wealthiest ZIP codes in America. But talk to residents of Mount Vernon, and a different picture emerges: A city that has become the county’s dumping ground for poverty, shelters, and social programs, that other towns refuse to host.
For decades, residents say, Westchester’s powerful leaders have treated Mount Vernon as “the county’s backyard”, the place where every difficult program, homeless shelter, or halfway house is quietly sent.
The burden is breaking the city.Police and residents agree that homelessness and crime are increasingly connected. Frustration is growing. Small business owners along Gramatan Avenue say theft and vandalism have increased. “We see people breaking into cars, stealing from stores, or fighting on the street,” said one shop owner. Violent crime in Mount Vernon is high compared to national averages.
A City OverloadedMount Vernon is just four square miles, but within those borders sits a disproportionate number of county supported shelters, transitional housing programs, and treatment facilities. While neighboring towns like Scarsdale, Bronxville, and Pelham have fought to keep such programs out, Mount Vernon host them.
The result? A city already struggling with poverty and crime is forced to absorb more than its share of the region’s social challenges. Every time the county wants to place a shelter, they pick here. If there’s a reentry program for ex-offenders, it’s here. If there’s a methadone clinic, it’s here, if there are sex offenders, they are here.
You won’t see a homeless shelter in Scarsdale or Bronxville, those towns use zoning and neighborhood opposition to block them. Mount Vernon doesn’t have that political muscle. It’s easier for the county to dump everything there and call it compassion.”
The problem extends beyond housing. Mental health programs, parolee reintegration services, drug treatment centers, and sex offenders are overwhelmingly concentrated in Mount Vernon.
Strain On Public SafetyThe impact is visible on the streets. Homelessness has surged, and with it, crime and public disorder. The Mount Vernon Police Department, is stretched thin responding to calls from shelters, transitional housing, and encampments.
Officers deal with people who need mental health care, not handcuffs. Meanwhile, city services, sanitation, code enforcement, and social work, are buckling under the weight. Residents complain that the city looks neglected while county officials boast about their “comprehensive social programs.”
Politics and the Price of PowerMount Vernon’s struggles are compounded by years of local mismanagement and corruption. City hall has been plagued by infighting, financial scandals, and bad leadership. Critics say this dysfunction makes it easier for county leaders to take advantage of Mount Vernon. Other mayors would never allow what happens here
Bad LeadershipCritics say Mayor Shawyn Patterson Howard and her administration haven't fought hard enough to stop it.
While the rest of Westchester boasts pristine parks and luxury apartments, Mount Vernon remains the place that carries everyone else’s problems. And until that changes, Mount Vernon will continue to pay the price for the county’s comfort.
Specific Programs & Facilities in Mount Vernon. They Need To Be Spread Equally Around The County- Mount Vernon Continuum of Care (CoC) Program
- The city administers Permanent Supportive Housing
- Mount Vernon Area Oasis Women’s Annex
The Guidance Center of WestchesterHELP USA – WESTHELP Mount Vernon- Address: 240 Franklin Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10550. This is a program providing transitional housing for homeless families, with services like case management, day care, counseling etc. NY Connects
Westhab Emergency Shelter / PSH in Mount VernonAccording to the HOME-ARP allocation plan:Westhab provides 102 Emergency Shelter beds for 34 households at Vernon Plaza. HUD- Westhab also has 32 Permanent Supportive Housing units in Mount Vernon. HUD
Community Housing Innovations- In Mount Vernon, there are 240 Transitional Housing beds for over 80 families. HUD
Mount Vernon Permanent Supportive Housing Units
- Mount Vernon, via its own city programs and CoC, directly manages 57 Permanent Supportive Housing units. HUD
Friendship Worship Center – Shelter / Warming Center- Address: 261 E. Lincoln Avenue, Mount Vernon. It has been used by Westchester County as a homeless shelter/warming center. Residents criticized its placement, saying that the county tends to place shelters in Mount Vernon, and not wealthier suburbs. Daily Voice
|
|
