Updated Nov. 23 at 7 a.m.
The Baker administration announced plans Tuesday, Nov. 22, to open a temporary center at Devens to help vulnerable individuals and families in Massachusetts find emergency housing.
The center will be located at the Bob Eisengrein Community Center on Sherman Avenue in Devens and operated by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, in partnership with Making Opportunities Count, a Fitchburg nonprofit.
The center will provide three to five days of temporary lodging for up to 60 families or 125 individuals before their transfer to an emergency site or more permanent housing, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. The facility will also provide medical, social, food, and laundry services. The center will open Dec. 5 and remain open for at least four months, according to today’s announcement. Work to convert the former Fort Devens officers club for its new purpose will begin immediately.
“By creating a centralized space to conduct intake activities before families are placed in their emergency assistance site, we will be able to better assess the needs of these individuals and better prepare communities for the arrival of families to sites in their city or town,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy.
In a letter to residents and businesses, hand delivered on Tuesday, MassDevelopment CEO and President Dan Rivera assured them that the planned facility would not be used for long-term housing. “This is not a permanent solution,” he wrote. “This is our community contributing to the good of our Commonwealth in a time of humanitarian need.”
The site will be staffed 24 hours a day by medical and social service professionals, and will include security.
Rising homelessness, an influx of migrants and a shortage of housing appear to lie behind the decision. “In Massachusetts, the need to house our neighbors outweighs the capacity,” wrote Rivera. There was a need “to move quickly to get the most vulnerable out of the elements and into transitional housing for the winter,” he said.
Money for the Devens center is available in a supplemental budget filed by Gov. Charlie Baker on Nov. 18. The bill includes $20 million for a “central intake center,” without specifying a location, according to today’s announcement.
Devens residents appear to have been taken by surprise. One reported finding Rivera’s letter taped to her door. “No community meetings. No outreach,” she wrote. As recently as Thursday, Nov. 17 MassDevelopment, the Devens Fire Department and the Department of Public Works and Recreation hosted 60 guests at a residents dinner held at the Eisengrein center.
Peter Lowitt, director of the Devens Enterprise Commission, said he had learned of plans for the center at the same time as residents. The agency is responsible for enforcing the rules and regulations that govern development at Devens “We are exploring the issues,” Lowitt wrote in an email. “State, Federal and municipal uses are allowed in all zoning districts” of Devens, he wrote, adding that the commission did not have a statement at this time.
“Devens has a long history of answering the call when our nation or state is in need. We are proud to continue that legacy by hosting this mission and supporting the Commonwealth’s efforts to help the most vulnerable families among us during this holiday season of giving thanks, Rivera wrote in his letter to residents and businesses. “We [MassDevelopment] remain committed to ensuring that Devens residents and businesses continue to receive excellent services from our Devens Operations staff.”
