Housing Headlines

WORCESTER --- For the Worcester Telegram, reporter Bill Shaner follows Chris Robarge, who prepared coronavirus protection kits by himself and walked around Worcester to hand them out to homeless people. One of the things they discovered that in addition to needing hand sanitizer, tissues and antibiotic ointment, the homeless need bottled water as public place shutdowns means Worcester's poorest have less access to bathrooms and free drinking water.

QUINCY --- Calling it the "toughest couple of weeks" he's ever had, the president of Quincy's largest homeless shelter has had to turn away multiple guests who were experiencing coronavirus symptoms, the Patriot Ledger reported last week. Father Bill's shelters up to 125 a night and almost always is at or over capacity, meaning guests and staff are in close contact. When guests have to be turned away because of worrying symptoms, they’re directed to the Barbara McInnis House in Boston, which helps homeless people who are too sick for life in shelters but not sick enough for an acute care hospital bed, said John Yazwinski, president and CEO.

BOSTON --- In what may be repeated across Boston, city officials have established a temporary medical clinic outside the Southampton Street Shelter and will use two tents to isolate residents who show symptoms or have been exposed to the coronavirus. According to the story, there are 17 beds designated for people diagnosed with the virus.

BOSTON --- The Citizens' Housing & Planning Association will hold a second virtual strategy meeting on affordable housing's response to the coronavirus on Friday, March 20 at 2:30 p.m. Last Friday's initial meeting was attended by 130 housing professionals and featured updates from the state, shelter providers, regional nonprofits and others.

BOSTON --- Several major affordable housing owners and the organization that represents most of the state's non-profit affordable housing developers have agreed to halt most evictions during the coronavirus emergency. The announcement by owners like Winn Companies, the Massachusetts Housing and Community Development Corporation and others follow last week's announcement that the Boston Housing Court would also stop "nonessential" evictions.

Following Gov. Charlie Baker's decision to suspend certain provisions of the open meeting law to enable local decision-making during the coronavirus emergency, the Mass. Municipal Association has published an explainer to help local officials understand how to hold virtual meetings and allow virtual public access, as well as information of what towns can do if they are not set up to do so.