A little over two weeks after a deadly fire at the Knights Inn hotel in Endwell, state Sen. Lea Webb and Assemblywoman Donnal Lupardo emphasized housing investments included in the state budget.
On June 22, a fire broke out at the Knights Inn in Endwell, which was used by Broome County as temporary housing for individuals and families. The fire killed six people and displaced many others.
“We want to extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families who have been impacted, those who lost their lives due to the fire at the Knights Inn,” Webb said. “With the fire, one of the things that brought to the surface with that tragedy is the very real challenges with access to emergency housing.”
Webb highlighted that the state budget includes $50 million for the housing access voucher program, and $10 million to the shelter arrears eviction fund, both of which help individuals experiencing financial hardship that impact their housing.
Broome County officials spent $9.4 million in 2025 placing families experiencing homelessness in hotels and motels. County Executive Jason Garnar said during a press conference last week that they follow the state’s policies when it comes to deciding which facilities to use. Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo said this is part of the conversation.
“We’re trying to wrap our minds around how many people are in these temporary settings, so we understand how we’ve gotten here. Right now, we’re trying to figure out how many people we are talking about and what would it take and how much would it cost,” Lupardo said.
Onondaga County officials said in November that they would like to see the state adjust temporary assistance rates, as they haven’t been changed in over 20 years. Webb echoed this concern.
“It’s such a very small amount of dollars that they receive,” she said.
Currently, a family of four in Broome County is allotted $818 per month, according to the Empire Justice Center, a non-profit social justice organization.
In May, Garnar announced a search for partners to help the county end the use of hotels as temporary shelters.
“We stand ready to certainly help fund or support whatever comes up that could work for these folks,” Lupardo said.
Ultimately, the state officials would like to see the projects and proposed projects already in the works move more quickly. Webb said they are advocating for solutions that can be implemented quickly with available funding but also remain safe and affordable for residents of Broome County.
“It’s all of those pieces and having those respective partners working together in a more coordinated manner and that’s what we’re calling for today,” Webb said.
Lupardo said that while Broome County has been the recent focus of this issue, it is a statewide concern.
“There are a lot of eyes on this, not just in our area but across the state to figure out how to address the very things we’re talking about. It’s a moment for us to step up and protect these folks,” Lupardo said.
Protests continue in front of county building
While state officials delivered this press conference, people who knew the six individuals killed in the fire and homeless advocates remained outside of the county office building on Hawley Street. The group has been there for 16 days despite the city trying to remove them, according to Masai Andrews, founder of the Glory Shines Foundation, which delivers food for families living in the hotels in Broome County.
“I think it’s indicative of the broader problem here with the elected politicians and the local government in Broome County,” Andrews said. “They’ll do lip service as long as there’s a microphone there and an audience there that donates to them or votes for them, but if you come down here and talk to the actual people who are living on the streets, those are not the people who are necessarily going to run out and vote for them so they see no interest in coming here.”
Andrews’ van sits outside the county building. (Emily Kenny/Spectrum News 1)
The Binghamton City Police Department confirmed they made one arrest at the encampment Tuesday of a 23-year-old man because he prevented uniformed officers from removing legally prohibited items from the gathering. The man was charged with obstruction of governmental administration but has since been released from their custody. The items that are prohibited are “all temporary structures, tents, chairs, tables and ancillary items” according to a letter distributed by the city to those staying in the space.
Andrews said the protest remains peaceful and that, typically, homelessness is only heard about and not seen. The purpose is to remind county officials that the problem still exists.
“This has always been a peaceful action, just by virtue of how it’s designed. We’re here to feed people; we’re here to keep folks safe and some people are here to sleep at night,” he said.
