Last weekend, InsideLowell told you about Massachusetts’ interest in using the former Ste Jeanne d’Arc School as an emergency shelter for migrant families, a story Governor Maura Healey’s office quickly moved to address.
However, the need to find housing in other locations is clearly at a crisis point.
Today, Governor Healey declared a State of Emergency, asking the Federal Government for help in addressing the issue and describing the state’s shelter system as “rapidly expanding capacity in an unsustainable manner, and that further assistance is urgently needed.”
The Governor went on to state there nearly 5,600 families or more than 20,000 individuals in state shelter, including children and pregnant women. Our sources indicate that number has been rising at a rate of 1,500-2,000 per month.
While the former Ste. Jeanne d’Arc School is no longer under consideration as an emergency shelter site, we continue to hear there are other sites in Lowell being looked at. Today’s declaration from Beacon Hill and the presence of numerous local organizations that deal with housing issues ensures the Mill City is likely to continue being front and center in the conversation.
