A college dorm in Quincy will offer emergency shelter for up to 58 families experiencing homelessness, including newly-arrived migrants, as the state opens a second “welcome center” in the city Monday to serve as a point of entry to shelter and services in Massachusetts, the Healey administration announced.
Bay State Community Service plans to run the new “welcome center” alongside officials from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Healey administration said in a statement. The center is located in the Cove Fine Arts Center on the campus of Eastern Nazarene College.
The center will operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday “to facilitate efficient connection of families to temporary and longer-term shelter as appropriate,” the statement said.
State officials have repeatedly said Massachusetts is facing a steady rise in shelter demand due to the skyrocketing cost of housing in major cities and an influx of people arriving from other countries. The state opened its first “welcome center” in June in Allston alongside housing options at Joint Base Cape Cod.
An Eastern Nazarene College dorm will serve as temporary shelter for up to 58 families, the administration said. A state-contracted shelter management firm, AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, will help run the housing, according to the state.
“This second family welcome center will help increase access to services and expedite the rate at which we are able to connect eligible families experiencing homelessness with safe and secure shelter,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a prepared statement. “We’re grateful for the hard work and collaboration of staff, providers and local officials who are going above and beyond to support families in need.”
The college dorm includes 55 rooms plus three apartments. The buildings are equipped with free laundry machines, common areas, and are furnished with “child-appropriate activities,” according to the state.
Officials said the campus is a short walk from the Wollaston MBTA station, has “ample green space and recreational fields,” and is close to playgrounds, a public beach, and a pharmacy.
“This initiative is an opportunity to serve families in need and provide our students with unique enhanced educational and co-educational experiences,” said Eastern Nazarene College President Colleen Derr.
The new point of entry for families comes as the Brazilian Worker Center, which runs the operation in Allston, has recruited locals to serve as hosts for newly-arrived families who do not have housing.
A spokesperson for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services said the Brazilian Worker Center determines host families’ suitability, onboards them, and matches them with new arrivals.
Most host families have rooms or apartments where newly-arrived families can stay with them for a few days until longer-term placements are arranged, the spokesperson said. As of July 21, there were 15 to 20 host families in Massachusetts, mostly active in hosting newly arrived families on the weekends, the spokesperson said.
“Our administration continues to explore all options for expanding shelter capacity, including evaluating whether the host family program could be expanded,” the spokesperson said in a statement to the Herald earlier this month.
The first “welcome center” in Allston served more than 550 families as of July 27, the Healey administration said in a statement.
Healey in late June activated up to 50 members of the National Guard to support “townhouse-style” apartments at Joint Base Cod for families experiencing homelessness and newly-arrived migrants.
“Our administration has been working hard to meet this unprecedented need and use every resource at our disposal to help families,” Healey said in a June statement.