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.
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.
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 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.
Healey Administration Opens Shelter for Unhoused Families in Cambridge Govt. Building
The Massachusetts state government opened an overnight shelter for unhoused families in the Registry of Deeds building in East Cambridge late last month.
Harvard Students Developing App to Connect Boston’s Unhoused People with Essential Resources
Local undergraduates are developing an app to connect Greater Boston’s unhoused population to essential resources, with hopes to launch it in the coming weeks.
How Cambridge’s Unhoused Residents Endured the Record-Breaking Cold
Confronting record-breaking low temperatures earlier this month, some of Cambridge’s unhoused residents sought refuge in shelters offering extended hours last weekend, while others faced the cold.
Cambridge Officials Discuss Homelessness, Rise in Crime and Substance Abuse in Central Square
Cambridge officials on Tuesday discussed the city’s efforts to address homelessness in Central Square, where overdoses and some types of crime have risen over the last four years.
Cambridge’s Affordable Housing Waitlist is Over 20,000 Names Long. How Did the City Get Here?
According to the Community Development Department, in 2021, Cambridge contained about 57,500 homes. Of these, around 8,500, or about 15 percent, are considered income-restricted housing. And the waitlist for these affordable homes? More than 20,000 names long. How did Cambridge get here?
After Two Years, Cambridge Neighborhood Service Project Returns to In-Person Programming
Cambridge’s Neighborhood Service Project, an initiative offering young people the opportunity to collaborate on community service projects, began its yearly programming this month — its first in-person cycle since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
PBHA Volunteers Phone Mass. State Reps. in Support of Covid-19 Housing Equity Bill
Students in the Phillips Brooks House Association phoned Massachusetts state representatives at a Tuesday event held by the group in support of a Covid-19 housing equity bill making its way through the state legislature.
Cambridge Homeless Shelters Hold Steady Amid Omicron Rise
Almost two years after the pandemic’s start, Cambridge homeless shelters have held steady operations amid the spread of the Omicron variant.