Today, the Manchester Emergency Operations Center (EOC) announced that the City of Manchester will open a 24/7 Winter Emergency Shelter located at 39 Beech Street at 7:00 pm on Thursday, February 2nd. The shelter will remain open until April 30th, 2023.
The announcement follows a phone poll of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen approving the terms of the lease of the property. The City has also partnered with the YWCA to stand up a 16-bed women’s shelter at the site of the former Tirrell House, which is scheduled to open on Monday, February 6th.
“I want to thank all of the City employees and partners who worked around the clock to stand up this emergency shelter,” said Mayor Joyce Craig. “With the lack of statewide emergency shelter beds and extremely cold weather coming at the end of the week, this shelter is critical to saving lives.”
“I am proud of the efforts of the city to stand up three shelters in less than a month” stated Fire Chief Ryan Cashin. “The countless hours spent in the EOC and the outcome of those efforts will save lives.”
“The City’s warming station effort is now able to transition into full emergency shelter services for men and women for the coming months,” added Adrienne Beloin, Director of Homelessness Initiatives. “All guests are welcome to cots, on site storage, showers, 3 meals a day, and a provider-enriched day space. We have an enthusiastic staff lined up with lots to offer by way of lived experience and recovery skills. We aim to have this be a safe and flexible space that moves people towards stability with housing, behavioral health, and income.”
The 39 Beech location will replace the temporary warming station with cots at the William B. Cashin Senior Activity Center, which has been operating from 7:00pm - 6:00am since Friday, January 6th.
In addition to 24/7 shelter provided by the City of Manchester, 1269 Cafe and HOPE for New Hampshire Recovery operate a warming station at 456 Union Street with the ability to serve up to 70 individuals and are open nightly from 8:00pm - 7:00am.
Families in Transition operates the largest state-funded adult emergency shelter in New Hampshire, with 138 beds. Last night, Families in Transition had five available beds for men and five available beds for women.
Individuals can access state-wide shelter services or access Substance Use Disorder Support through The Doorway of Greater Manchester by calling 2-1-1 or 866-444-4211.
The City of Manchester Emergency Operations Center was opened on January 6th to serve as a consolidation point for the first responders and departments to facilitate decision making to address unsheltered homelessness. In order to address the unsheltered homelessness crisis in the State of New Hampshire, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen have allocated $871,990 from the City’s remaining ARP, CDBG, and Affordable Housing Trust Fund dedicated to address immediate needs and concerns.
These initiatives are in addition to the City’s continued work to address homelessness and housing insecurity, which include over $11,000,000 of federal funds allocated to supportive and affordable housing over the last two years, daily outreach to encampments by first responders and outreach workers, administering the state’s only Healthcare for the Homeless program, and more.
Today, Hillsborough County Superior Court Judge John Kissinger ruled in favor of the City of Manchester, finding that “considering the grave risks to public health and safety posed by the ongoing presence of the encampment on public sidewalks in downtown Manchester and the availability of safe alternatives for the people living in the encampment, a temporary restraining order is not justified.”
The City is moving forward with its previously-announced plan to close the encampment on the sidewalks on Pine and Manchester Streets, tomorrow, January 18, 2023. Closing the sidewalk will require all individuals present at the encampment to vacate the area while public health and public safety issues are addressed.
Outreach teams began notifying individuals in the area on January 8th, 2023, and City and non-profit and faith-based partners have been conducting daily outreach, connecting individuals to shelter, storage for belongings, and other resources.
“City employees and non-profit partners have been working around the clock to ensure the health and safety of both the individuals experiencing homelessness in Manchester and the community at large, and this morning, the Hillsborough County Superior Court acknowledged our progress and ruled in favor of our ability to continue this work,” said Mayor Joyce Craig. “In addition to securing the area of Pine and Manchester Streets, the City of Manchester is moving forward on establishing a Women’s Shelter in partnership with the YWCA New Hampshire, opening an additional 24/7 winter emergency shelter, expanding access to substance use disorder treatment, and creating more permanent supportive housing options.”
The City of Manchester Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was opened on Friday, January 6th to serve as a consolidation point for the first responders and departments to facilitate decision making to address unsheltered homelessness. Since opening, the City has:
- Partnered with the YWCA New Hampshire to open a new Women’s Shelter at the site of the vacant former Tirrell House.
- Established a temporary warming station with cots at the William B. Cashin Activity Center that has served 43 unique individuals experiencing homelessness.
- Launched the Manchester Winter Relief Fund, a fund through the Granite United Way to ensure services and shelter to unhoused individuals.
- Allocated $871,990 from the City’s remaining ARP, CDBG, and Affordable Housing Trust Fund dedicated to addressing unsheltered homelessness this winter.
These initiatives are in addition to the City’s continued work to address homelessness and housing insecurity, which include over $11,000,000 of federal funds allocated to supportive and affordable housing over the last two years, daily outreach to encampments by first responders and outreach workers, administering the state’s only Healthcare for the Homeless program, and more.
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