Our team joined Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Juana Matias for a tour of the SMOC Individual Shelter in Leominster, along with Fitchburg's Community Development Director Liz Murphy and Maribel Cruz, State Representatives Michael Kushmerek and Natalie Higgins, and Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella...Housing insecurity doesn't stop at city borders... and neither do our efforts to address it.
It was a last-minute invitation to tour the facility, learn more about SMOC's operations, and discuss their proposal to establish a permanent shelter at this location while exploring additional transitional and supportive housing opportunities.
The numbers help illustrate the growing need across our region:
1,320 individuals served since the shelter opened in 2021.
211 individuals served in 2026 through September 28.
383 PEOPLE on the shelter's waiting list as of September 28, with demand expected to increase as colder weather approaches.
37 individuals successfully transitioned into housing in 2026 through partnerships with SMOC, local housing authorities, and NewVue Communities.
The shelter also connects individuals with behavioral health services, employment opportunities, and other resources, while reserving two emergency beds for local police departments assisting individuals in urgent need overnight.
The importance of having a diversity of housing options available is paramount. Emergency shelter provides immediate safety, but we also need transitional housing, supportive services, and pathways into permanent housing to help individuals regain stability and independence.
The shelter serves residents from Fitchburg, Leominster, Gardner, Lunenburg, Templeton, and Winchendon. These are regional challenges that require regional solutions.
I appreciate that BOTH our Twin City Mayors and BOTH State Representatives were able to join Secretary Matias for this discussion, demonstrating our shared commitment to addressing homelessness and housing insecurity both in our cities and across North Central Massachusetts.
Our communities face increasing demands for housing assistance, and municipalities cannot address these challenges alone. We need continued partnerships with the Commonwealth, nonprofit service providers, housing organizations, and neighboring communities.
Thank you to Secretary Matias for coming to our region, listening to our concerns, and discussing potential solutions, and to the SMOC team for welcoming us and sharing both their successes and challenges.... all with the goal of helping more of our neighbors move toward stable, permanent housing.
