The City of Lowell and it’s State House delegation are sending not one, but two letters to Governor Maura Healey regarding the planned conversion of the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center into an emergency migrant shelter. The letters, however, are exposing potential differences of opinion among the four members of the delegation.

You’ll recall at the August 22 City Council meeting, Councilor Corey Robinson asked for a point of personal privilege to address the State’s intentions. Robinson also asked the City Manager to craft a letter asking the Commonwealth to provide information to a community already struggling to deal with a housing and homeless crisis. The Councilor asked his colleagues and Lowell’s State Delegation sign the letter. (Text of the letter is posted below)

“Do we have to ignore our residents and our local administrations concerns in lieu of funding,” Robinson told InsideLowell. “All we are asking for is information required to prepare to do our part! The letter isn’t intended to stop anything. It’s intended to request information and resources to help our community assist both the unhoused as well as the migrants.”

As of this morning, all eleven City Councilors had signed the letter, as has 18th Middlesex State Representative Rady Mom. 16th Middlesex State Rep. Rodney Elliott tells InsideLowell he, too, signed the letter.

However, State Senator Ed Kennedy and 17th Middlesex State Representative Vanna Howard will not be signing that document. Instead, Senator Kennedy crafted a different letter on behalf of the delegation, this one focusing more on the long-term future of the Inn & Conference Center. Senator Kennedy tells us he’s “hoping that the repurposing of the facility as a shelter is a short-term solution, and that it will eventually go back to becoming an economic development component of the Downtown, as originally intended and constructed.”

The second letter (also included below) is signed by Senator Kennedy, Representative Elliott and Representative Howard. Elliott is signing both letters.

Meanwhile, Representative Mom signed the City submission, opting not to sign the delegation’s version.

“After hearing from my constituents and evaluating the information available, I decided to support the letter written by the city manager and signed by members of the city council,” Mom tells InsideLowell. “Like them I am concerned about the unforeseen challenges additional migrants could pose on Lowell Public Schools, especially without additional funding or staff. I am also concerned about how this will affect the city’s ability to find solutions for the homeless population that will make a significant difference and put them on a path to a higher quality of life.”