Twenty-six sheltered families have been moved from Bourne off-Cape. Here's what to know.

BOURNE ― About two dozen families were packed onto a bus, along with their belongings, and transferred from the area after staying at the Eastern Inn for roughly three months, according to front desk clerk David Patel.

The 30 rooms that were occupied remain empty, said Patel.

"They were good here," he said. "We had zero problems with them. No trouble at all."

Hotel staff was informed around Dec. 1 by the state that the group would be leaving Dec. 14, Patel said.

Families sheltered at the Eastern Inn were comprised of migrant families and long-term Massachusetts residents. The same goes for families that are currently being housed throughout the state, according to Noah Bombard, a spokesperson for state Executive of Housing and Livable Communities.

Statewide, about half the families in state shelter systems are long term Mass residents, not new arrivals, said Bombard.

The Eastern Inn "will no longer serve as a supplemental shelter site," said Kevin Connor, press secretary for the state agency. Connor said 26 families were moved from the Eastern Inn. For confidentiality reasons, Connor said he couldn't share the current location of families.

But the Eastern Inn, said Bourne Town Manager Marlene McCollum, will continue to operate with an inn holder's license.

How many shelter sites remain on Cape Cod?

With the departure of families from Eastern Inn in Bourne, migrant families and state residents remain housed at a Yarmouth hotel and on Joint Base Cape Cod, according to state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro.

Why were families moved out of the Eastern Inn?

Families were to be transferred from the Eastern Inn to consolidate supplemental shelter sites, according to an email sent by Gov. Maura Healey's office to McCollum on Dec. 1. McCollum provided the email to the Times.

State Sen. Susan Moran, D-Falmouth, was also notified but deferred to Healey's office when asked for comment by the Times.

State Rep. Steven Xiarhos, R-Barnstable, did not return calls or emails seeking comment.

In addition to people who were sheltered at Eastern Inn, other families across the state were reshuffled for the same reason, said Bombard.

"We are moving families towards shelters that have providers on site," said Bombard. "The Eastern Inn didn't have an on-site provider."

What is an on-site provider?

On-site providers, said Bombard, are nonprofits or other organizations that provide services or facilitate services such as booking and paying for hotel rooms to shelter families. The providers are eventually reimbursed by the state, he said. In some situations, the state pays shelters for hotel and motel rooms directly, said Bombard. In most instances, shelter sites give the state as many rooms as they can spare.

The demand for emergency assistance has rapidly expanded over the past year, and the state continues to set up short-term hotel shelter sites, said Emergency Assistance Director General Scott Rice in a statement provided to the Times by Bombard.

"We are now in a position where we can transition some of these sites into new, larger sites to facilitate better coordination and delivery of wraparound services," said Rice. Staff is also working to ensure continuity of education, medical care and other services for families that are being sheltered, and support for impacted communities, said Rice.

Are towns financially impacted by the sheltered families?

In an Aug. 28 letter to Healey, Xiarhos voiced his opposition to sheltering migrants on Joint Base Cape Cod and area hotels and motels.

A number of local officials, Xiarhos said in the letter, complained to him about the ongoing effects of housing migrants on the Cape. Stuart Daniels, Xiarhos' legislative aide, verified the letter and said Xiarhos "firmly stands by the letter" he sent to Healey. Towns in his area, Xiarhos said in the letter, find themselves under-prepared and inadequately equipped to deal with an influx of migrant families who need housing, food, clothing, and resources like health care and education. But the state, said Bombard, has already agreed to help towns with resources, and will reimburse municipalities for any costs associated with education for sheltered families. "That money isn't immediate, but that's happening," said Bombard.

Healey signed a $3.1 billion spending bill on Dec. 4, which allotted $250 million to the emergency shelter system.

Part of that funding will also be allocated to state-funded food benefits for migrants who are in the U.S. legally, but who aren't citizens. The benefits expansion will cost about $6 million, which advocates say will last seven months.

Yarmouth town manager says fears didn't come to fruition

On Sept. 11, Yarmouth Town Administrator Robert Whritenour said six migrant families were placed at Yarmouth Resorts for shelter. Families were later moved to Harborside Suites because of code violations at Yarmouth Resorts. There are now 21 families at Harborside Suites, and they hold 25 rooms and 35 children were entered into the Yarmouth school system.

While many residents felt fear and anxiety at the arrival of the migrants, Whritenour said the almost four-month stay in Yarmouth hasn't resulted in any financial strain on the town. Issues associated with national policies on immigration, during an election year, helped to spread additional fervor and concern, he said.

"The fear was about communicable diseases, education, and about crime — a wide range of topics," he said. "But none of those fears ever came to fruition. There hasn't been any widespread impact on the community."

It's actually the families who are being sheltered that should be concerned, said Whritenour. The facility, and the location of housing, is problematic, he said. Not only because long-term stays violate zoning bylaws, but also because a motel room "isn't a pleasant living condition for young families."

The on-site provider at Harborside Suites is the Massachusetts Army National Guard, according to a Yarmouth town document.

Has crime been an issue?

Since families moved to Harborside Suites, Cyr said he hasn't heard of any rising crime at the shelter location.

"I've spoken to Chief Kevin Lennon several times and there's been no increase in calls for service related to the facility," said Cyr. "I don’t think they have had any calls for service, other than one call initially for a health-related issue."

Questions about TB: 'Not one single report.' Yarmouth town leader says no active TB cases in migrant housing

Brandon Esip, chief of police in Bourne, also said officers haven't noticed a significant change in service calls surrounding the Eastern Inn.

"Without taking a deep dive into statistical information, I can say that there hasn't been any significant peaks or drops associated with that address," Esip said.

Consolidation effort praised

While Whritenour hasn't received any kind of notification from the state, he remains hopeful that families in Yarmouth will be placed in better suited living quarters soon.

"That was the goal of the program all along," said Whritenour. "It's encouraging seeing the consolidation program initiated in Bourne. We hope the Yarmouth location will also be subject to similar consolidation soon." Rachael Devaney writes about community and culture. Reach her at rdevaney@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @RachaelDevaney.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: 26 families head off Cape in shelter consolidation effort by state