GREENFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)- Homeless hotels are becoming a thing of the past in Massachusetts.
In 2015, 1,500 homeless families lived in hotels. A new report from The Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development shows a steep drop in the number of those families across the state, and Greenfield is following that trend. Two years ago, there were more than 100 of homeless families living in hotels in Greenfield. That number is now 1.
In January 2015, there were 54 families in the Days Inn on Colrain Road and the Roadway Inn on the Mohawk Trail. Many of those families now live in apartments and other permanent housing in Greenfield. The Greenfield school system is assisting families in that process.
Lisa McGuinness, Registrar of the Greenfield Public Schools said, “We’re down to 30 in other situations but not in the hotels. I did go to register them in the apartments and they’re beautiful. The families are so excited.”
“When they get to school, we do everything we can to give them a leg up,” said Jordana Harper, Superintendant of Schools in Greenfield. “Our educators are welcoming and kind. We have a community that has been incredibly supportive. For those families that used to live in a hotel, it’s such a wonderful thing for them to have permanent housing now.”
The school department is reviewing enrollment numbers to see how many have permanent housing. That will help determine how much financial aid Greenfield receives for its schools.
School starts in Greenfield Wednesday, August 31st.
