Meeting Outlines Efforts To Fight Homelessness In Salem

SALEM, MA -- There are 220 homeless students enrolled in Salem Public Schools and eight people identified as being "chronically homeless" -- a number that has fallen from 13 since last year. These were just some of the issues discussed at "Collaborative For Hope," a Tuesday night meeting in Salem of the umbrella group that made up of city officials, Salem Police Department, medical practitioners, and non-profit groups including Lifebridge Salem and Harborlight Community Partners.

Ward 3 City Councillor attended the meeting and noted that while there are a number of programs in place to help homeless students by providing warm coats, food and summer camps, the number hints at a bigger issue. "An increase in the supply and affordability of our housing stock would address this critical need," she wrote in a Facebook post summarizing the meeting's main points.

Housing prices continue to increase in Salem. Last year Path reported that more than one-in-two Salem renters were "rent burdened," meaning more than 30% of their income went to pay for housing. The higher housing costs come even as Salem tries to meet demand with new housing units: The total number of housing units in Salem in 2016 was 19,435, up 3.7% from 18,742 in 2011. But Census data suggests the building is not meeting demand: unoccupied, or vacant, housing accounted for 5.6% of the total number of housing units in 2011. In 2016, it was 7%.

The Collaborative has made it easy for people who want to help. By texting the word SALEM to 50555 residents can make an automatic $5 donation to the effort.

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).