As temporary warming center closes, Manchester seeking a long-term fix
MANCHESTER— Thetemporary warming center in Manchester that opened in the depth of winter is due to close Thursday morning, but town officials are starting to discuss options for a more permanent solution.
Asubcommittee of the board of directors is being formed to tackle the issue, General Manager Scott Shanley said Tuesday. To be advised by Human Services Director Joel Cox, the panel is to discuss “current local and regional challenges, meet with providers of various services, review data, determine mission and recommend to the board of directors a package of services/practices they deem appropriate for the future,” Shanley said.
Opened in late January, the warming center at the Community Y building on North Main Street filled a gap left by the shuttering five years ago of the MACCCharities homeless shelter.
Operated by Cornerstone of Vernon with federal CARES Act funds, the center over the past several weeks had hosted 10-12 guests each night.
About 35 individuals were repeat guests or had stopped in to get warmand check the place out, Cox said.
Cornerstone, which operates homeless shelters and other services in Vernon, did a good job of running the warming center and offering resources to guests, Cox said. About 40% of the guests were Manchester people, so the discussion about a long-term solution to homelessness should be a regional conversation, he said.
The faith-based Greater Manchester Peace and Justice Committee had lobbied for the center. Recreation programs that the Community Ybuilding hosted for years have been on hold during the pandemic.