The recent announcement by the Baker administration that it will take over the Eisengrein Community Center at Devens to process homeless people and families was made without any consultation with residents or local governments. I support helping settle families into suitable housing. But the Baker administration should engage with people, listen to their concerns, answer their questions, and collaborate on solutions.
The Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley select boards should join this discussion for several reasons.
Select boards are the nearest local, popularly elected, government authorities to Devens. What happens at Devens matters to the wider area, not just to people who live there. The select boards should join together to provide a forum for local residents to voice their concerns, and should invite representatives from MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency to be present and answer questions. Listening to local concerns, and where possible, acting on them, is a basic function of local government.
Local governments may be able to help allay concerns and provide support. For example, Harvard could offer Devens residents a substitute community center for the duration of the intake operation. The three towns may have suitable quarters to house some of the families, thus reducing the burden on the Eisengrein center. There may be other needs we can satisfy.
The three towns, Devens residents and businesses, along with MassDevelopment, are deeply engaged in discussions on future governance of Devens. Each entity has a stake in this process. The challenge posed by homelessness isn’t going to end after four months. Creating an intake center at Devens is unlikely to be a one-time event.
We are about to have a new state administration take office. While the players will change, the roles and the agencies will remain. This is our chance to show that we care, we can engage constructively, and that we matter. The state administration doesn’t have to bypass us or fear us. This is an opportunity to show what is possible when everyone collaborates.
Paul Green
Old Littleton Road
