A top official in Worcester said the city is considering opening a “welcome center” akin to the two the Healey administration stood up in Allston and Quincy to deal with an influx of migrants from other countries who have arrived in Massachusetts.
State officials have used the welcome centers to serve as an entry point for migrants and displaced families to the state’s shelter system and basic services. The welcome center in Allston is run by the Brazilian Worker Center and the one in Quincy is housed at Eastern Nazarene College.
Worcester City Manager Eric Batista first said the city was talking with state officials to create a local welcome center on the radio show Talk of the Commonwealth.
In a statement provided Thursday evening, a spokesperson said the city is working with state and federal and state partners to “to provide both short and long-term solutions to address the commonwealth’s shelter shortage in the face of steeply rising demand of new arrivals.”
“One of the solutions being considered is the creation of a new arrivals welcome center that will serve as the first point of contact with individuals to be greeted and processed before being connected with the proper agencies who will assist with finding the individuals housing, enrolling children in school, and finding employment opportunities,” the spokesperson said. “The details of this welcome center are still being determined.”
A spokesperson for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, which announced the Allston and Quincy welcome centers, did not provide a comment but the Healey administration has made clear over the past several weeks that they are looking to expand shelter and intake services.
Worcester is also home to many colleges and universities that could host emergency shelters similar to those at Eastern Nazarene College and Salem State University. The city is looking at several different venues that could accommodate needs, a spokesperson said.
After Gov. Maura Healey called on the Biden administration for federal funding and aid to deal with an influx of migrants in Massachusetts and a strained emergency shelter system, Batista said Worcester planned to launch a “New Arrivals Task Force” to help with resettlement efforts.
A shelter shortage has caused pressure on “every single person living in the second largest city in New England,” Batista and Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty said in a statement last week.
“We call on everyone who lives and works in Worcester to come together and show in a demonstrable way that we are a welcoming, inclusive city that acts based on love, compassion, and integrity,” the pair said. “It is a time for landlords, business owners, service providers, healthcare workers, hotel staff, and residents to be ready to aid individuals seeking shelter, resources, and job opportunities.”