With shelter system at capacity, state turns to Concord hotel for emergency use
In late January, the town of Concord got a piece of news that quickly spread through the affluent community: The state had entered into an agreement with a local hotel, and would be setting up an emergency family shelter for homeless and migrant families in need of a place to stay.
Some residents wanted to know how they could help, and what would happen to long-term residents who reside at the hotel. Some wondered if the shelter’s occupants would clog traffic, overwhelm their schools, or threaten their safety. Residents and town officials alike said they were thrown off by the short notice and questioned whether renting the Best Western hotel was a long-term shelter solution.
From: Boston Globe
Excerpt:
There are 25 families from Concord and the surrounding area housed at a barracks-style emergency shelter in Devens, some of whom have children enrolled in Concord schools.
“Maybe it’s Concord’s turn to take care of homeless people down on their luck,” said Stephan Bader, a longtime resident who serves on the town’s Housing Authority. “We have to get used to welcoming people. We have to get used to more people being around here.”
Simon Cataldo, the state representative for the area, wrote in a letter to his constituents last Tuesday that he shares their concerns about “the suitability of this location,” but said that “you can draw a straight line between the housing supply crisis and the emergency need for temporary shelter for families.”
“So many people are teetering on the edge of not being able to afford their rent,” the freshman Democrat, who lives near the hotel, told the Globe. He said he’s received more constituent outreach on this issue than any other since he was sworn in last month.
“From the conversations I’m having, residents and community groups are viewing this as an opportunity to reinvigorate discussions around building more affordable housing,” he said.
Cataldo spoke at a Monday night select board meeting, where a handful of residents voiced their opposition to the plan.
