People facing homelessness leave garbage and personal belongings, such as carts and bags, in most public spaces across downtown Norwich, reflecting the ongoing housing crisis in the area. (Photo by Tyler Murphy)

NORWICH - Four years ago, local organizations received a Tuesday warning that more than 100 people living in Chenango County hotels could be forced to leave by Saturday with nowhere to go.

“My program for ES is out of money. Everyone I have in hotels (and it’s over 100 people) will be forced to check out on 5/14,” wrote a Norwich Family Enrichment Network Housing Case Manager in an email on May 10, 2022.

The email explains the organization’s program was running out of money and that everyone it had placed in hotels with those funds would be required to check out in four days.

Groups met to discuss how the town could cope, but eventually additional budgeting was provided to avoid the immediate problem.

Chenango County’s department of social services commissioner was called back from vacation in 2022 to deal with the emergency as it became public. The local department played an important role in solving the situation.

In retrospect, Chenango County Social Services Commissioner Daniel Auwarter said the original alarm and potential crisis largely came down to an error by one person that was not caught because of inadequate oversight.

The result, he said, was that a single message about the program’s funding led to the prospect of a countywide housing emergency.