Sex Offenders and the Homeless in Newburgh

When Level 3 (the worst) sex offenders have "served their time," they get sent to Newburgh -- no matter where they're from or where they did the crime. But when native Newburghers, who've lived here all their lives, lose their homes, Orange County sends them to Middletown.

Is there really nowhere in Newburgh for the County to house homeless people, but plenty of apartments for sex offenders??? Our homeless folks number fewer than 100 and, contrary to popular belief, many have jobs and children. It's just that their jobs don't pay quite enough for them to afford a deposit on an apartment plus monthly rent and utilities. Kids can't get on a bus near a homeless shelter in Middletown and get to their school in Newburgh on time. LIkewise, there's no bus in Middletown that can get homeless Newburghers to their jobs ... much less back to some shelter in Middletown come quittin' time. Intermunicipal buses in Orange County just aren't that handy.

Meanwhile, here are seven places Newburghers would rather sleep than Middletown: 1. in the dugout at the Delano Hitch softball field; 2. under any porch that has no woodchucks; 3. under a porch with woodchucks, but the woodchucks are sleeping; 4. in an alley in a quiet neighborhood; 5. in an alley in a noisy neighborhood; 5. under a picnic table at the riverfront; 6. in a bathroom stall at the Newburgh Mall or the all-night Lexus Diner, if they can hitch a ride out there and don't get caught by Security; 7. in the City lockup (at least three homeless people have told me that the cops have kindly "let them stay there" on bitter nights).

Surely we can do better than this. Bottom line: The County and City must work together to keep our homeless Newburghers out of the cold.