Leominster rep’s game-changing homeless answer

The goal of identifying a community’s homeless population and providing shelter and support services to help them find a permanent home instead of wandering downtown streets remains a challenge rather than reality.

Many of our state’s cities, most notably Boston, as well as Fitchburg, Leominster and Lowell, have dealt with the problem with varying degrees of success.

It’s become a major campaign issue in Lowell’s Nov. 2 municipal election, as candidates, city officials and the business community alike press for solutions to this intractable social condition.

The intent of three motions passed at the Oct. 19 Lowell City Council meeting was to learn more about the city’s efforts in response to this high-profile issue.

Two councilors mentioned their attendance at a recent Homeless Coordinating Council meeting.

“When you hear of 200 homeless, it is a concern, but it’s not impossible to address it,” said Vesna Nuon.

Rodney Elliott said it’s important to get the homeless into shelters as a critical first step, noting an effort underway by the Lowell Housing Authority to develop 30 units of transitional housing with wraparound services.

Acknowledging homelessness as a fundamental statewide concern, advocates and some elected officials recently appeared at a legislative hearing to show support for transitioning the state’s shelter system to noncongregate settings, which they say would more effectively move people toward permanent housing opportunities.

A bold bill by state Rep. Natalie Higgins would phase out the use of congregate shelters by the Department of Housing and Community Development over a five-year period and create plans to streamline housing services.

“I come at it from a trauma background. I spent 10 years as a rape crisis counselor. For so many of my community members, going to a massive shelter is not a safe place, and they were choosing to stay on the streets,” Higgins, a Leominster Democrat, told the State House News Service after Tuesday’s Housing Committee hearing.

Higgins’ assertion appears supported by Lowell City Manager Eileen Donoghue, who reiterated at that council meeting that outreach workers have indicated there are

A bold bill by state Rep. Natalie Higgins would phase out the use of congregate shelters by the Department of Housing and Community Development.

many more beds currently available at the Transitional Living Center on Middlesex Street in Lowell and other facilities than interest among the homeless to take advantage of them.

When COVID-19 cases surged, some congregate shelters looked to population separation as a way to curb the spread of the virus among residents.

Higgins said she developed her bill based on challenges experienced in her district, which includes Leominster. Higgins said the city doesn’t have a permanent homeless shelter and when the pandemic hit, it worked with DHCD to set up a temporary facility.

“In the first two weeks, we were able to fill 26 beds. Now, despite those beds being expanded to 40, there is still a 30-person wait list,” Higgins said.

“This bill really seeks to make sure that there is shelter availability across the commonwealth, in everyone’s home community, so that they can be stabilized and transitioned to housing that fits their needs.”

The legislation also calls for a plan to “enhance and streamline” housing services for underserved populations like medically complex persons, the elderly and disabled populations.

Higgins’ bid may be overly ambitious — decoupling the current state-aided and nonprofit shelter system constitutes a daunting task — but including a five-year timeline at least starts the clock running for a solution to a generational problem.

If there’s a better answer out there, we’d like to hear it.