Berkshire Taconic Foundation offering a $10K Grant to address Affordable Housing in Tri-Corner MA/NY CT area. Great Inspiration and Collaboration Required.

This sounds great. From ideas from www.gaia.org which draws on permaculture practices from around the world, the more people who can advocate for themselves, the more likely they will receive support.

Housing is a fundamental need and the connection between having enough people to run a town, fill a school and keep business afloat is being made in terms of needs and problems, and now thankfully solutions.

In Canada, people are provided with housing, cars (to get to work) and healthcare. I am not an expert, but the idea of making basic human needs a shared priority to help people get care early on to be healthy and to be supported enough to be able to get to work and earn money or trade services is an overall pattern for group success.

Motherhouse in Cornwall does a lot to keep people feeling connected to basic life skills (cooking, caring for children and they have a library shelf in the Cornwall Library.)

In Great Barrington MA, there's Construct (413-528-1985, www.constuct.org) which started 20 years ago to address transitional housing needs

. They and VIM (Volunteers in Medicine assist some from the Canaan area too.)

The programs for kids in GB are open to Ct folks also, CHP (an open play area M-F indoors and out, young kids clothing for free and some programming with parents present) just up past K-Mart and Library programs, much like the ones in the CT area offer.

They have separate rooming houses for men and women, provide some basic social services and help with SNAP and other programs (they have housing lists and also a few apartments around the area.) They have a main fundraiser in October, A Walk for the Homeless.
A fellow who writes a blog called "houseless' explores the issue around the country.

We could use an ongoing committee to network resources in the tri-corner area regarding housing, basic support, transportation needs and more.

There should be a connection between Canaan and Ashley Falls since there is a bus (or van) that goes to Great Barrington daily from there I think. More people need to work together to recruit people to live in the the tri-corner area, especially CT to keep the towns afloat.

Perhaps camping on the AT and helping folks in town or getting to programs that need participants would make sense. Having some shelter from storms and such would be important--with either hosting recreation or faith groups using town or other (church/ gymsn, etc) facilities.

Groups of 10 can hike the AT together, so a few of those could be lined up and even if only going a short distance on the trail, could camp (depending on how all that works.) 

A van or two from the train station in Wassaic could bring plenty of folks up from the city along the lines of the Fresh Air Fund which provides kids with a week with local families.

Ideally, more 'welcome wagon' and other ongoing social support networks, especially for families with young children or low-income people would help keep the area feeling friendly.

Often people form groups much like can happen in school cliques and the larger sense of connection to one's tribe can fade rather quickly or over various episodes

. Safety for all people can be a shared value with gentle attention to who may need help due to what kind of stress or challenge long-term or short-term.

The laws are being made right and left to keep people in a fear-based mindset of lawsuits and many regulations make it challenging to help people or even inquire at times. 

So, why not use this overall topic and time to review what is working and what could make things better. With some attention to planning a few years out, people could feel encouraged to stick around or stay connected in a positive way (care about issues, people and help fundraise, etc).

Ideas for towns close to the high school are to offer things to students that would round out their educational experience and help students feel the community cares about them and their success in life.

Helping students get to programs (funds, rides, college visits and actual college and camps, even rehab if needed) could be a more integral part of the recreation or social services outreach.

Again, the parameters would have to be clarified regarding liability and such but ideally some parents could network with guidance and other responsible adults to see that every student and family has support to help each person feel valued, connected, needed and competent to live a balanced, productive life. Wishful thinking but lots of good ideas start with a dream (and a team.)