On Monday, April 7, Samadhi Refuge, located at 451 Washington Avenue Extension in Saugerties, closed its doors. Operated by the nonprofit Samadhi, the location had been accommodating individuals facing homelessness since it opened in early 2023.
From the time the Ulster County Department of Social Services (DSS) began making emergency housing placements with Samadhi Refuge in 2023, Samadhi has been consistently informed of the invoicing and payment process.
The following process was communicated to Samadhi when the facility opened and continued to be communicated on an ongoing basis: Individuals must be determined to be eligible for emergency housing assistance and have an approved application for DSS to make payments for emergency housing. This process is consistently applied to all emergency housing placements by DSS, as required by state and federal regulations.
Throughout the entire time Samadhi Refuge provided emergency housing, DSS worked to ensure that all submitted invoices were processed accurately and efficiently for timely and proper payment. Whenever Samadhi raised concerns regarding unpaid invoices, DSS conducted thorough reviews and provided detailed explanations to clarify why certain invoices could not be paid.
“It is not accurate for Samadhi to suggest that they did not understand how emergency housing placements are transacted and were not informed about invoices that would not be paid,” said Michael Iapoce, Commissioner of the Ulster County Department of Social Services. “While the suddenness of the closure is challenging, the County and DSS will continue to provide supports and services to all of the individuals affected by this closure to ensure that they can be safely relocated to alternative placements where their needs can continue to be met."
As of Tuesday, April 8, DSS has successfully relocated two DSS emergency housing clients, and are continuing to relocate the seven other DSS clients at the location, as well as any other individuals housed there who are not DSS clients. The situation remains ongoing and is being actively addressed.
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