Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders wrote a letter on November 15 explaining that temporary housing for up to 30 unhoused individuals will be created on the existing Shattuck Campus site in Franklin Park and is expected to be up and running next month.
“In response to the humanitarian crisis in an area of Boston referred to as “Mass. and Cass”, there is an urgent need for both temporary and permanent low-threshold transitional housing for individuals who are homeless,” Sudders said in the letter.
She said that the housing will be “temporary” and “low threshold” and will also come with services. The housing will be called the “Temporary Cottage Community,” and Pallet, “a leader in rapid-response shelter villages and a local human service provider with experience serving individuals who are homeless,” will be a partner in the effort.
Sudders said that the housing “will serve as a safe place for those in transition from homelessness to more stable housing.” It will consist of 18 private sleeping cabins with locks. One or two beds will be provided in each cabin, and there will be “personal climate control and storage for possessions” as well, she said. There will also be around-the-clock security.
Additionally, meals will be provided onsite, along with laundry, services for mental health and addition, and case management “with the goal of supporting residents in their transition from the streets to permanent housing and longer-term stability.” Sudders said this will be done in conjunction with a local provider of health and human services.
“The establishment of the Temporary Cottage Community will address an immediate need and aligns with the Vision Plan for the Redevelopment of the Shattuck Campus at Morton Street, the product of a 12+ month vision planning process for the future use of the 13-acre Shattuck Campus,” Sudders said. “The Temporary Cottage Community, although temporary, represents the first phase of implementation of the longer-term plans for supportive housing and services envisioned on the campus.”
Sudders concluded by saying that this housing will not impact the operation of the Shattuck Hospital “nor the longer-term redevelopment plans for the campus.”
Any questions about the housing can be directed to [email protected].