Amid the recent stretch of cold winter weather, East Main Street resident Linda Colleran raised the possibility of the city creating homeless warming shelters from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., during the City Council’s meeting last week.
On Friday, Mayor Greg Verga posted to Facebook an update from the Health Department on efforts by the Grace Center and Action Inc. to make sure those who are unsheltered have a place to go to get out of the cold.
Colleran said while residents appreciate the work of community organizations like The Open Door food pantry and others in creating warming places during the day, the need is there at night.
“We’d like to suggest that City Hall is opened up or some other facility in the town could be used, whatever’s appropriate, after hours, with the work of volunteers to staff the evening warming center and collaborate with our nonprofits to provide services to these residents before something tragic happens — there may have already been some tragic events,” Colleran said.
She said she and others wanted this treated as an emergency and asked for an immediate solution.
On Friday, Mayor Greg Verga posted on Facebook: “As mayor, the safety and well-being of our residents are my top priorities. Given the recent extreme cold weather and expected cold snap, I have requested an update from our Health Department on the ongoing work by the city and community organizations to ensure those in need have access to the necessary resources and supports.”
Verga shared a link to the Health Department’s website with the current status of “Supporting the Unsheltered” as of Thursday.
The Health Department said that the Grace Center and Action Inc. “are working closely with the unsheltered community members to ensure they have a place to go during the cold weather.”
The update said that the Grace Center, the Police Department’s Community Impact Unit, the Fire Department, The Open Door, and the Onestop Harm Reduction Center have been successfully referring people to Action Inc.’s shelter on Main Street, which has been in an overflow protocol for nearly a week.
According to Action Inc., when there is extreme weather, such as the recent cold, the shelter goes into overflow, which means the shelter does not turn guests away. Action Inc. said Friday that it has had five individuals who sought temporary shelter due to the cold for overflow.
The Health Department update states the shelter stayed open on Jan. 11 due to inclement weather and on Jan. 13 as the Grace Center was closed due to necessary maintenance.
The Grace Center has been working with its parent organization, Salem-based Lifebridge North Shore, which has locations in Salem and Beverly, to find temporary accommodations for those looking to venture outside Gloucester.
The Health Department said this week that an additional 10 people who might have needed support have been moved into permanent housing this month as part of Action Inc.’s ongoing housing efforts.
The Health Department noted there was a nearly 20% increase in homelessness in the United States in 2024, and it’s assumed this will increase in 2025.