Community Forum at Warring Elementary Draws More than 100 in Opposition to County’s Oakley Street

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY-More than 100 residents and business, civic and elected leaders attended

the City of Poughkeepsie's community forum on May 22 with the vast majority decrying

Dutchess County's plan to create a 100-bed homeless shelter housing only single men and

women at 26 Oakley Street in the City's Fifth Ward. Held at the Warring Elementary School

auditorium, numerous speakers called on Dutchess County leadership to return to an earlier

negotiated settlement that would have limited the facility to only housing homeless families

and females.

The forum featured several speakers including Da'Ron Wilson, Common Council Chairperson;

Jamar Cummings, City Chamberlain; Barrington Atkins, President, NAACP of Northern Dutchess

Branch; Randall Johnson, Dutchess County Legislator; Jonathan Jacobson, NYS Assemblyperson;

and Steve Effron, President and CEO of Effco Products, a long-established manufacturing firm

located near the proposed shelter.

The forum began with a dynamic video introduced with recorded remarks from

City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers that was primarily filmed in the City's 5th Ward and

features city residents, business owners, and elected officials. Additionally, nearly 20 residents

and civic leaders rose to speak during the event, many providing emotional opposition to

Dutchess County's lack of willingness to return to a previously negotiated settlement to the

vexing issue that has haunted the city for nearly three years.

Several speakers called upon the city to engage legal counsel and pursue litigation against the

county if County Executive Susan Serino didn't resume negotiations for a fair and equitable

settlement of the issue that takes into account the city's priorities. Many urged residents to

attend upcoming Dutchess County Legislature meetings to make their voices heard. Event

organizers also called upon city residents and other interested parties to participate in an online

survey which can be accessed via the following link:

For several months, the City and County had been working toward a compromise on the shelter

project. As a result of those negotiations, County Executive Serino sent a memorandum of

understanding to Mayor Flowers outlining an agreement stipulating that only homeless families

and single women would be permitted to be served by the Oakley site. After receiving Common

Council approval, Mayor Flowers signed the agreement and returned it to the County Executive

in anticipation that she would counter sign the agreement. A short time later, the County

Executive announced that the County no longer wished to pursue the negotiated agreement

with the city, stating that County Legislative leadership had informed her that they would not

vote to approve the plan.

At its meeting on May 6, the City's Common Council went into closed executive session to

discuss whether to commence legal action and seek an injunction against the County in order to

seek a more equitable settlement of the vexing issue that has been debated through various

administrations over the last several years. The City is currently engaged in discussions with its

legal team to explore all appropriate options going forward.

END

NEWS RELEASE

Steve Densmore

Media Relations

[email protected]

845.234.8713

May 23, 2025