Five weeks after InsideLowell first reported that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was in negotiations with UMass Lowell to use the Inn & Conference Center as an emergency migrant shelter, Governor Maura Healey confirmed those negotiations in her own letter responding to letters sent by Lowell’s State Delegation.
The letter, published in it’s entirety below, states the intent to use the ICC in a shelter capacity through the end of the fiscal year, which is June 30, 2024. It also cites an “option” for renewal, though it isn’t clear who has the option and how many times the agreement can be renewed.
A report in this morning’s Lowell Sun indicates Lowell Public Schools will be reimbursed $104 per day for each student, a number that tracks with the state’s $18,000 Chapter 70 per pupil spending on an annual basis. However, despite confirming the reimbursement amount to the Sun reporter, no exact dollar figure is specified in the correspondence and no commitment has been made yet to Lowell Schools Superintended Liam Skinner. The letter only states “the city will be reimbursed for additional educational costs on a per pupil basis.”
The Governor does acknowledge the importance of that building to the City of Lowell and writes the intent is to “develop a long-term plan for the site that meets the needs of the city and its residents.”
