05/13/2024

Massachusetts is Turning a Former Prison into a Shelter for Homeless Families

The facility can accommodate about 140 families

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey is turning to a former prison as a temporary safety net shelter for families experiencing homelessness, a surge fueled in part by an influx of migrants to the state.

The Bay State Correctional Center will help house families on the waitlist for state shelter. It was decommissioned in 2015 and remains in good condition, officials said. The state prison population has fallen by nearly half in less than a decade.

The facility can accommodate about 140 families in dorm rooms with bathrooms and showers on each floor. It also has a cafeteria, a gymnasium, a large common room and offices that will be used for case management and administrative activities.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Associated Press.