With 4 Weeks Left, New Worcester Homeless Shelter Reports Success

WORCESTER, MA — A new Worcester temporary homeless shelter set to close this month has been at-capacity since it opened in December, but about half of its residents have found permanent housing over the last few months.

The Seeds of Hope shelter at Blessed Sacrament Church opened in December amid backlash from some neighbors and business owners. Since the opening, neighbors have met with local officials about problems they have with the shelter — but the nonprofit operating Seeds of Hope says the shelter produced gotten results.

Open Sky Community Services said Monday that 30 shelter residents — including five veterans — have found permanent housing. Two more veterans are awaiting placement in permanent housing. Another 28 residents have agreed to enter some form of substance-abuse treatment.

The 60-bed shelter replaced Hotel Grace, which operated during winter months at a church in the Vernon Hill area. Like Hotel Grace, Seeds of Hope did not turn anyone away, and did not require residents to accept services — although services were offered to anyone who wanted them.

"Our staff are working tirelessly to help individuals obtain housing. We have helped 83 individuals submit a total of 262 total applications for housing, an average of three applications per person," Open Sky President CEO Ken Bates said in a news release Monday.

Since the shelter opened, top city officials and Open Sky officials have held multiple meetings with neighbors and business owners about shelter side effects.

Worcester police have reported an increase in responses in the immediate area around the shelter. But police have also stepped up patrols in the area, which means officers logged more responses in than usual. The neighborhood has also received special services, like off-season street sweeping.

Residents in the Newton Square area learned about the shelter at a community meeting on Dec. 11 — a sore point for some in the neighborhood who said they received inadequate warning about the opening. District 5 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj, who represents the area, went door-to-door to inform residents about the shelter and sent letters to abutting streets. Blessed Sacrament Rev. Tom Landry also met with church members before the opening to detail the plan.

Shelter space is limited in Worcester during the winter months, which is when most homeless residents seek indoor refuge. The only other shelter options are through the South Middlesex Opportunity Council at the nonprofit's facility along Queen Street and at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, according to city officials.

Apart from housing and addiction treatment, 17 shelter residents found employment, according to Open Sky. The shelter has served 168 different people total since opening.

"I recognize and truly appreciate the Herculean efforts made by the neighborhood and partner agencies to collectively care for and nurture some of our most vulnerable residents," City Manager Eric Batista said in a news release. "Open Sky, the shelter staff and community volunteers helped keep people out of the harsh elements this winter and successfully connected many with services and resources that will benefit them in the short and long term."

The shelter will close for the season on March 31. It's unclear where the shelter might be located for the next winter season.