Methuen mayor says 216 people placed in hotel without support


After 55 homeless families were unexpectedly moved to a hotel in his community, a Massachusetts mayor is publicly critiquing the state agency responsible for their placement. Methuen Mayor Neil Perry said he became aware that 86 adults and 130 children were placed in the Days Inn on Pelham Street by the Department of Housing and Community Development on Oct. 14. He later learned the group had arrived two days earlier.Perry said he sent members of the city’s Health, Human Services and Inspections Department to the hotel, where they learned the group “had not been fed for some period of time.” In response, the mayor said he used money usually earmarked for the Methuen Cares food pantry to order food for the group. “The group consists of homeless families, some of whom are from the South Shore of Massachusetts, some of whom are Haitian and some of whom are South American immigrants,” Perry said in a statement. “There are no undocumented individuals in the group.” Perry also said it took six days for DHCD officials to arrange a meeting and provide information about the case. The mayor said he left that call without adequate information about the next steps for these families or why DHCD did not coordinate with his office. “While I recognize that the mission of DHCD is difficult and often overwhelming, it is shameful that the answers provided to us yesterday were few and far between,” Perry said. “After placing 216 individuals into our city with absolutely no prior notice and taking almost a full week to provide a meeting we began asking for on the same day we learned of their presence, the lack of information provided during that meeting yesterday is outrageous and unacceptable.” Perry said he learned during the meeting that nine of the families were being moved out of the hotel on Friday. Of those who remain, some children will continue to be sent to their home districts for schooling while others will have to be enrolled in Methuen schools.The mayor said DHCD assured him they have arranged for meals, medical services and security for the families. “The Department of Housing and Community Development has a process in place to provide emergency shelter and other assistance, including meals and case management work, to eligible homeless families by placing them into scattered site apartments, congregate shelters and, as a last resort, hotels and motels,” a DHCD spokesperson said in a statement. “To help ensure these families had a safe place to sleep, several families have been temporarily placed in Methuen while more permanent shelter or housing is found. Throughout this process, the Department remains in contact with the Mayor and the city.”Under Massachusetts law, DHCD is required to provide shelter for eligible households with children under the age of 21 or pregnant people, including those who have recently arrived in the state. The agency said it uses motels when there are no vacancies in the shelter system and said it provides the families with services and meals. Perry said he intends to speak with Gov. Charlie Baker about the situation.

After 55 homeless families were unexpectedly moved to a hotel in his community, a Massachusetts mayor is publicly critiquing the state agency responsible for their placement.

Methuen Mayor Neil Perry said he became aware that 86 adults and 130 children were placed in the Days Inn on Pelham Street by the Department of Housing and Community Development on Oct. 14. He later learned the group had arrived two days earlier.

Perry said he sent members of the city’s Health, Human Services and Inspections Department to the hotel, where they learned the group “had not been fed for some period of time.”

In response, the mayor said he used money usually earmarked for the Methuen Cares food pantry to order food for the group.

“The group consists of homeless families, some of whom are from the South Shore of Massachusetts, some of whom are Haitian and some of whom are South American immigrants,” Perry said in a statement. “There are no undocumented individuals in the group.”

Perry also said it took six days for DHCD officials to arrange a meeting and provide information about the case. The mayor said he left that call without adequate information about the next steps for these families or why DHCD did not coordinate with his office.

“While I recognize that the mission of DHCD is difficult and often overwhelming, it is shameful that the answers provided to us yesterday were few and far between,” Perry said. “After placing 216 individuals into our city with absolutely no prior notice and taking almost a full week to provide a meeting we began asking for on the same day we learned of their presence, the lack of information provided during that meeting yesterday is outrageous and unacceptable.”

Perry said he learned during the meeting that nine of the families were being moved out of the hotel on Friday. Of those who remain, some children will continue to be sent to their home districts for schooling while others will have to be enrolled in Methuen schools.

The mayor said DHCD assured him they have arranged for meals, medical services and security for the families.

“The Department of Housing and Community Development has a process in place to provide emergency shelter and other assistance, including meals and case management work, to eligible homeless families by placing them into scattered site apartments, congregate shelters and, as a last resort, hotels and motels,” a DHCD spokesperson said in a statement. “To help ensure these families had a safe place to sleep, several families have been temporarily placed in Methuen while more permanent shelter or housing is found. Throughout this process, the Department remains in contact with the Mayor and the city.”

Under Massachusetts law, DHCD is required to provide shelter for eligible households with children under the age of 21 or pregnant people, including those who have recently arrived in the state. The agency said it uses motels when there are no vacancies in the shelter system and said it provides the families with services and meals.

Perry said he intends to speak with Gov. Charlie Baker about the situation.


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