Homeless camps like these can be found near the Chadakoin River or near railroad tracks in Jamestown.

BARCELONA, N.Y. — He was seated at Route 5 and North Portage Road in this small hamlet near Westfield that boasts a thriving summer shoreline and pier along Lake Erie. Holding a cardboard sign, the individual made a humble and desperate plea.

“Homeless. In need of cash.”

Residents and tourists who stopped at the intersection took notice. Some offered loose change while others handed him dollar bills.

His plight is one that is growing all too familiar in Chautauqua County. Since the State of Emergency that was issued two weeks ago by Mayor Kim Ecklund in Jamestown, homelessness has been a hot-button and high-profile issue for nearly every community.

By many accounts, the area has reached a crisis situation that brings no easy answers.

In the south-county city, the visibility of the problem cannot be understated. Through the heart of downtown to the former Brooklyn Square, camps are evident near the Chadakoin River and viaduct area.

Will a similar crisis be evident in Warren County in the coming years? With Jamestown only 22 minutes away from downtown, how prepared would leaders here be to tackle this issue?

Ecklund’s state of emergency points to mental health as being one of the key factors. In making the declaration the evening of July 25, there is no denying this issue has become too great for a municipality of 28,500 residents — the largest in the county — to handle.

Elected officials believe that since Jamestown is home to the only treatment facility within a 55-mile radius, many who arrive cannot return home. This has proliferated a problem that began shortly after the COVID pandemic and the closing of Lakeshore Hospital in Irving in February 2020.

“The city has been actively pushing for the establishment of more mental health evaluation centers throughout Western New York to address this issue more effectively and provide crucial support to those in need,” city officials said in a news release last month. “In collaboration with UPMC Chautauqua, the city of Jamestown is urging the governor to assess the need for an additional 939 facility in Western New York or a neighboring county.”

That type of location is a reference to state Mental Hygiene Law Section 939, which permits the involuntary commitment of individuals with mental health conditions who are deemed a danger to themselves or others. City officials say people are often brought to Jamestown under Section 939, as well as state Mental Hygiene Law sections 941 and 945.

Those transports are bound for UPMC Chautauqua from throughout Western New York. Ecklund, who is still waiting for some type of response from the state, had no other choice.

In Chautauqua County, the poverty rate stands at 17.4%, that’s 6% higher than the 11.6% rate here.

Locally, the Warren-Forest Counties Economic Opportunity Council answers the call when residents here need assistance. Its Housing Department provides facilities and services to meet the needs of homeless individuals through emergency, transitional, and permanent housing programs as well as housing assistance options. Facilities and services are made available for individuals and families who are currently homeless or facing homelessness.

In Jamestown, at this moment, that population is projected to be at 300 and growing. Residents who would like to help in the crisis are trying to make their voices heard. “Granted they probably have a lot of issues,” said Cynthia Schoberg, a city resident said at a recent meeting. “That’s probably how they got here in the first place. So I’m hoping that we can use an example of some other cities. Austin, Texas, I know, has a program where they moved them all and moved undomiciled people to tiny houses. They need security. They need a place they can lock up what little items they have. They need dignity.”

Earlier this week, a resident who once owned property near Chautauqua Lake reached out to our newspaper from Mechanicsburg, Pa., after reading about the issue. He said he left the region after becoming frustrated by the lack of private investment within the area.

That individual had the means, and made a choice to relocate. Those who have gathered in Jamestown are not as fortunate, which is a part of the reason they remain.

Additionally, those camps have created a different type of community. A new location to call home for those with nowhere to go.

John D’Agostino is the editor of the Times Observer, The Post-Journal and OBSERVER in Dunkirk, N.Y. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 716-487-1111, ext. 253.