Just the facts

• No other county in New York has its main human services office outside the county seat.
• Columbia County DSS had 33,000 visitors in 2008; the majority lived in the 12534 zip code.
• People are struggling, so the number of DSS visitors will not diminish anytime soon. In 2008, the county expended $!.2 million on housing alone for the homeless, double the amount spent in 2006.
• Approximately 30 percent of the county's residents and families living in poverty, live in Hudson.
• Low income residents of Hudson are far more likely to be without easy access to a car or a telephone.
• Columbia County is without a public transportation system. The Board of Supervisors did not approve a plan to transport people when the decision was made to move DSS to Claverack.
• DSS spent $121,334.02 for taxi service in 2008.
• Nearly half (44 percent) of DSS clients who live within the city of Hudson now walk to the agency.
• Nearly 50 percent -- one half -- of the families with children in Hudson live below the poverty level, as compared to 16 percent countywide.
• During one four-day period in 2008, the number of DSS clients from Claverack constituted 2 percent of the department's visitors; 48 percent were from Hudson.
• Almost 14 percent of Hudson's senior citizens live in poverty, compared to 6.8 percent countywide.
• The same clients that are dependent on the human services provided by the county rely on the assistance of more than 20 non-profit organizations located in or near Hudson, as well.
• After Hudson, the next largest group visiting DSS were from Catskill (7 percent).
• The overwhelming majority of DSS visitors (88 percent) come to the office without a scheduled appointment.
• In 2008, Eight-nine percent (89 percent) of DSS visitors travel 30 minutes or less to reach the department; 48 percent reached the Railroad St. office in less than 15 minutes.
  

Source(s): DSS client traffic survey (July 21 to 25, 2008); DSS Visitor Population Survey (April 14 through June 30, 2008); Columbia Opportunities Inc.