Massachusetts Invests Nearly $13 Million to Expand Winter Shelter; Worcester County Adds 101 Full-Season Beds
The Healey-Driscoll administration in Massachusetts has announced an investment of nearly $13 million to expand winter shelters and overnight warming centers statewide, helping people experiencing homelessness have a safe place to spend the night during the coldest months. A total of 30 projects were selected, eight of them new recipients, to expand coverage and add dedicated beds for women and unaccompanied homeless youth. The state said the supplemental funding will add 1,575 winter shelter beds and 214 overnight warming center spots.
Worcester County will add 101 year-round beds through a partnership with the South Middlesex Opportunity Council, with the state's full-season window running from November 15 through April 30 of next year; the City of Worcester says its 101 beds open on December 1 and run through April 30. Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty said the 101 beds are an important part of the local winter response.
Central Massachusetts will add a total of 223 spots, bringing the total to 499. Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Juana Matias said: "No one should be without a safe place to stay during the coldest months of the year." The state said the funding is prioritized to the areas of greatest need, favoring cost-effective, well-coordinated solutions, with the goal of making homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring.
Source: Office of the Governor of Massachusetts
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Photo: 图：马萨诸塞州伍斯特市政厅雪景（资料图）。来源：Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 3.0。 / Photo: Worcester City Hall, Massachusetts, in snow (file photo). Source: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
