Eastern Nazarene College to offer services, shelter for immigrants: What to know

QUINCY – Eastern Nazarene College will host the state's second Family Welcome Center, which is designed to connect immigrant families and others experiencing homelessness to social services and shelter.

A dorm on the campus will serve as a temporary shelter for up to 58 families and will be overseen by AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, a state-contracted shelter management firm.

“This second Family Welcome Center will help increase access to services and expedite the rate at which we are able to connect eligible families experiencing homelessness with safe and secure shelter,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a news release.

The center will be run by Bay State Community Services along with support from state agencies.

Representatives from the Department of Transitional Assistance and MassHealth will conduct on-site enrollment for families out of the school’s Cove Fine Arts Center seven days a week.

The on-site shelter includes 55 rooms in a dorm building, plus three apartments. Buildings are equipped with free laundry machines and communal areas and will be furnished with child-appropriate activities, according to the release. The campus is walkable to and from the Wollaston MBTA station.

Where else migrants are being housed in Massachusetts

The first center opened at the Brazilian Worker Center in Allston in late June and has served 550 families as of July 27, according to the state's news release.

In conjunction with the Allston opening, the state transferred eligible families to townhouses at Joint Base Cape Cod, which can house up to 60 families. Within a week, the base was nearing capacity as it housed 53 families, including 179 individuals, according to State House News Service.

The state is looking for ways to accommodate the at-risk families, many coming from Haiti and South America, to fulfill its role as the country’s only “right-to-shelter" state, which guarantees homeless families emergency housing.

“As we rise to meet this increased demand for shelter and services, the opening of this second Family Welcome Center and new shelter space allows us to fulfill our responsibilities to families that need assistance accessing basic necessities like food and shelter,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh.

More: Here's what the Safe Communities Act could mean to Quincy and the South Shore

Mayor Koch calls for community involvement

Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch called on the state and the college to hear comments and concerns and answer questions at a community meeting.

"While understanding the mission and circumstances surrounding the agreement between the state and the college, information needs to be shared clearly and directly with the community," Koch said in a statement. "Overall, my expectation would be that this operation results in no impact to the surrounding neighborhood and that any costs associated with city resources are reimbursed. We’ll be monitoring it closely to ensure that happens.”

'State overwhelmed': Framingham reports about 40 Haitian migrants are staying in a city hotel

Hotels and motels used as housing for at-risk and homeless families

Families continue to be put up at local hotels and motels until more long-term housing can be found.

According to State House News Service, 43 hotels and motels around Massachusetts are being used as emergency shelters for 1,737 families.

It reported that 80 municipalities in the state are accommodating families as part of the emergency assistance program and 5,356 families were in state-funded shelters at last count.

“Through this unprecedented challenge, cities and towns are working together to help their neighbors in unprecedented ways," Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said.

Towns in the state aren't always deliberate hosts, as Plymouth and Kingston officials discovered last fall when the state secured hotels in each town for homeless families without advance notification.

More: Dozens of 'migrant' families being moved to Plymouth, Kingston

How much money is Massachusetts spending on the Emergency Assistance program?

In March, Healey signed a supplemental budget into law that dedicated $85 million to the Emergency Assistance program to meet the demand of a growing number of families, immigrants and refugees facing homelessness.

The state’s recently approved budget includes $325 million for emergency assistance, which represents a 48% increase from last year.

The administration also awarded $1.75 million to form Immigrant Assistance Services, a new case management program designed to help newly arrived immigrants in Massachusetts so they can access services that address their immediate needs and help them achieve stability.

Why is Eastern Nazarene College giving space for migrant Family Welcome Centers?

While state officials have said more welcome centers will open around the state, the questions of where and when that will happen have not been answered.

Colleen Derr, president of Eastern Nazarene College, said her school is happy to be among the early launch of the centers.

“This initiative is an opportunity to serve families in need and provide our students with unique enhanced educational and co-educational experiences,” she said.

How to donate to the Quincy Family Welcome Center

Accepted donations to the Family Welcome Center in Quincy include baby wipes, strollers, new car seats, portable playpens, diapers (all sizes), formula, milk (powdered), toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash, unscented Dove bar soap, men’s and women’s deodorant, Cerave baby lotion, Vaseline, individual packets of Pedialyte and gift cards to Target and Walmart.

Donations may be dropped off at A New Way Recovery Center, 85 Quincy Ave., Suite B, in Quincy. Donations can also be made online at baystatecs.ejoinme.org/donate.

For more information, email info@baystatecs.org.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Temporary shelter for migrants to open at a Quincy, MA, college