‘THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS MAYOR DOMENIC J. SARNO HOME OF THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME Agus 19,2016 Maxine J Sti, Presiden and CEO Jewish Family Service of Western Masachuets 1S Lenox St Springfield, MA 01108, Dear Ms Sti: ‘Thank you for aking he ine to mee with senor edeship sta ofthe City of Springfield regan he rolige relation work ta Jewish Family Serve isinvlved within tbe City. We are pp tea hat you are looking at other communities to house newly arrived reiges incling Chicopee and Pits. ASyou know, Spring as ben the lneaton o which many refugees sd inmgrants have came over th course of or long story, and Spring i jstialy proud ofthe weleoming nature of ou ety and ofthe diversity witin our ewer. ‘As we discussed with you, and as weal dscssed wih your predecessor, while Spring as been pp to welcome nowy eve tiesto shores, th fat remains tht we re cent sreling wih ver increasing demands for series frou poorest resents. As you know, Sing cuentas 4,220 of our resents ving a or blow the poverty lin, which represents abou 1 of evry 3 residents. Approximately 87% af eur sudens in the public soo system quali fo ee or reduced pice lunch, ot af stunt popiation of 25456, Our anemplaymentrat i ciety 8.1%, mich higher than the sate wide average of 494. We also find ‘ourlves with itl no valle subsided housing, and with he waist fra subsidy growing ech year. Many ‘ofthe etl units inthe see are Beyond the incl each of petons with o income ther fan goverment assistance. The private units that ate onthe les expensive end ofthe range ar ofen notin code compliance alae notmanaind adequately. Moreover, the ess expensive unis are ew in number, “Youve expen he sale of he Peel progr dou wich you place tetages i at ‘community. Te program pays fr elatvely intensive suport forthe fist 3 months, and then some level of ‘nitions sppert forthe next # months. have been aed that you would be hapy to sas any refugee family est that poi, bu the funding only anticptes volvement for IT months. The standard you are striving tech i {0 have te resettled individuals and fails ving the sae level as any ote "wulerable person inthe ae ‘You bnve stated tht offen mean fame and individ are dependent upon governental aise, icing DITA, SS benef, SNAP, so fl sistance City of Springfield +36 Court Street « Springfield, MA. 01103-1687 + (413) 787-6100Spring is akendy providing subtaelsyport and asstance to many ofthe most advantaged ‘ans inthe Commonwealth We have ge name of group homes here, we house many homeless files ‘within the City, and as stated above we hea lege aumber of poope ving at below te poverty ie. The iy’ departs st speck Oo scholdepurment, bt alo oor heath asd hunan series department, our otsing and neighborhood services, tr code enforcement dvson, our community policing depertment and ote ‘hor sever ae already stretched othe ner breaking pot de to he demands plas pon them. White your agency's involvement substantially ends ater | months the Cty of Spring's involve wit he refgces eloetd er is ongoing, Whee we have deserbed situations we ve found refuges flies Tving in election specie the response has boon “how long bave hey Been here?” 1f thy ave been here for more than yar he infec tht no longer he eelement agency respoasbliy, albough you have been ‘cious enought offer support” The City ha ound refugee Sais livng in very poor conditions islding ‘loubled pin overcrowded and sb-standd housing, olin without adequate het or ot water. The schools re ling with th tales wh ae brought here oe wt litle or no schooling nd with sigan emotional ‘ses, sch 3 PTSD. ‘Those len ei servics fromthe City farbayood the fst yer. (On belofthe City tave aso previously requsted wd renew the request that We be provide with up tote opastional polices and procedures relative to housing, employment and heltcare for participants, We ave taked fora ist of potential plaemens. I hat isnot pase based on your ndersanding of HIPPA or other Federal mandates, a minimum you sould be able share withthe City the veri sed for placerat nd the roots fr iapcton, We woul ike the sae infrmton eave wo emplyiea,haltheare and ase management ‘You havs nds Bat another 200 more invduals wl e brought to Spin in the coming yer, ‘As bave tated, we ar asking tt other communities be cae ype 9 ofersupper tthe incoming refuges, s0 ‘hat bot the Beefs o having thse now izes andthe burdens of providing serves can be spread mere evenly ‘ssost the egon. Cray services can be proven oher ommunies. Ther ar busses avaleble throughout ‘he ara andi anspratin i tat mach ofa pediment thn perbaps your agency should be foking at how you ‘an provide sistance wih that ne. Its na sustiabe tha te City contest be asked to ene its for ‘mow and more ofthe ost vulnebleckzes, Would tt make Bete seas am a publ pole perspective to ‘else fl i have thet the evel of thems vaerable families in Longmeadow or Nockamon? Let Us cotinue to provide he services we curently provide tothe thousand of fs who have been reese herein ‘he last en (10) yeas. | hank you fr your interes in arteringtheclalogue about hw best to serve ese vulnerable ks, tly, (x 2 bom Gai bes -