Homelessness
Bay Cove Staff Accused of Mistreatment at Public Hearing
A City Council meeting intended to focus on how Cambridge could better support homeless residents turned into something of a public reckoning as resident after resident accused staff at shelters operated by Bay Cove Human Services of abuse and mistreatment.
Cambridge Shelters Struggle With Tightening Budgets
More than 1,000 people are homeless in Cambridge, many of whom have not been able to secure a bed in a shelter. But staff at shelters in Cambridge and Boston said that the limiting factor isn’t space — it’s funding.
‘Eerie Feeling’: Cambridge Residents Mixed On Central Square Surveillance Program
Cambridge residents are watching closely as the city moves ahead on plans to install more surveillance cameras in Central Square — and they have mixed reviews.
Homeless Families in Cambridge Temporary Shelter Report Worsening Conditions
Residents and shelter workers at the Cambridge Registry of Deeds building center said the new five-day stay limit was going unenforced but fostered a sense of instability as residents struggled to make concrete plans for the future.
State Officials Grant Cambridge Public Schools $200,000 to Support Unhoused Students
The state of Massachusetts awarded Cambridge Public Schools about $200,000 to support unhoused students, state officials announced Tuesday.
Cambridge to Pilot Surveillance Cameras in Central Square
The Cambridge City Council approved a controversial pilot proposal from the Cambridge Police Department to install surveillance cameras in Central Square.
Cambridge Unarmed Response Team Dispatches to 911 Calls
The Cambridge Safety Department’s unarmed response team is now responding to nine different types of non-violent 911 calls in the latest effort to expand policing alternatives.
Harvard Square Homeless Shelter Debuts Renovations To Adapt To 6-Month Stays
The Harvard Square Homeless Shelter unveiled the renovation of their space on Friday — and with it, a dramatic shift in their model to allow shelter guests to stay for the entirety of the 6-month operational season.
State Legislature Limits Emergency Assistance Shelter Stays
State legislators voted Thursday to pass a bill imposing a nine-month limit on families staying in state-run Emergency Assistance Shelters effective June 1.
Healey Administration Puts Limits on Stays in Overflow Homeless Shelters
For months, Massachusetts has struggled to accommodate an influx of unhoused families, who have a right to shelter under state law. Now, state officials are looking to put limits on families’ stays in some state-run shelters.
UCSF Professor Presents Homelessness Research at Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies
Margot B. Kushel ’89, a professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco, gave the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies’ 23rd John T. Dunlop Lecture on Thursday.
Rachael Solem, Longtime Irving House Proprietor, Remembered for Her Impact on Local Businesses
Rachael Solem, a founding member of the Cambridge Local First business organization, was remembered by Cambridge residents and leaders for her commitment to the city’s small businesses and nonprofits.
As Cambridge Emergency Shelter Struggles to Meet Needs, Chelsea Nonprofit Provides Resources to Families
La Colaborativa, an immigrant social service organization in Chelsea, opened a walk-in day services center on Tuesday for families staying in the state-run emergency homeless shelter in Cambridge, which has struggled to transition its residents into permanent housing.
Winter Puts Strain on Resources, Housing for Cambridge Unhoused Residents
As low February temperatures pose a hazard for unhoused Cambridge residents, shelters and service organizations are having to meet a growing demand for beds and winter resources.
An Emergency Shelter in Cambridge Was Meant To Be Transitory. Families Have Stayed for Weeks.
A temporary homeless shelter at the Cambridge Registry of Deeds building was only meant to house families for five to ten days. But a shortage of permanent shelter options means that most families have remained there since December.
