politics
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is using a former prison as a brief shelter for families experiencing homelessness, a surge fueled partly by an influx of migrants into the state.
The Bay State Correctional Center helps house families who’re on the waiting list for state housing. It was decommissioned in 2015 and stays in good condition, officials said. The state prison population has fallen by nearly half in lower than a decade.
The facility accommodates roughly 140 families in dormitories with bathrooms and showers on each floor. It also encompasses a cafeteria, gymnasium, large common room and offices used for case management and administrative activities.
“The site may have play areas for youngsters in addition to classrooms for adults where they’ll participate in activities that support the trail to stability, equivalent to: B. ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses, job training courses and housing search workshops,” Emergency Response Director Scott Rice said in an announcement.
Executives in Norfolk, Massachusetts, where the ability is positioned, said in an announcement Monday that they weren’t consulted before the choice.
Norfolk officials said the town was informed Friday that the previous prison was designated as temporary housing. They said the town played no role in the choice and was not consulted prematurely.
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll spoke with city officials Saturday and told them the shelter will likely be managed by a shelter company designated by the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services through a competitive bidding process.
According to the state, the location is predicted to be operational next month. The barbed wire on the fence surrounding the ability will likely be removed and the gates will remain open, allowing families to freely leave and return from the location if essential.
The animal shelter will accommodate as much as 140 families – a complete of 450 people who find themselves entitled to emergency assistance. officials said. Some of the families were staying at Logan International Airport.
Officials said the shelter is predicted to operate for six months to a yr.
Safety nets like the previous prison are intended for homeless families with children or pregnant women who’re eligible for emergency assistance under the state's housing law but are currently on a waiting list. About half of the families receiving emergency assistance in Massachusetts are newly arrived migrants.
Healey officials said the state is providing additional funding to cover the prices of scholars suddenly arriving in class districts due to shelter-in-place orders.
Norfolk city officials They said they plan to have regular conversations with state officials to make sure the city's concerns are heard and to work together on solutions in one of the best interests of Norfolk.
Massachusetts will begin limiting the length of time homeless families stay in shelters because the state continues to grapple with a surge in homeless migrants.
From June 1st, the entire length of stay will likely be limited to nine months. After that, families are eligible for as much as two 90-day extensions. This comes as a part of a supplemental budget approved by the state legislature and signed by Healey last month.
Other facilities converted into emergency shelters include a recreation complex in Boston.
image credit : www.boston.com