I started this morning at the Annual Western Massachusetts Homelessness Resource Fair for Providers, held at Holyoke Community College.
Organizations and legislators from across the region, including Representative Aaron Vega (below), a leader in this network, were represented. All of them focused on one goal: To work for a reduction in the number of people currently experiencing a housing
crisis in our region and to work to end homelessness.
Rep. Vega talked about the ways in which the Massachusetts State Legislature has “moved the needle” to address and end homelessness, noting that more has to be done.
According to network director, Pamela Schwartz, there’s been a 24 percent drop in the number of people becoming homeless in the last five years. While that’s heartening, Pamela also flagged that we’re currently facing an acute crisis relative to the approximately 1,000 Hurricane Maria evacuees living in the region who face an end to their FEMA benefits shortly.
With the fate of these evacuees in mind, I’m grateful to Rep. Vega. Grateful to Pamela Schwartz. And grateful to the 200+ people who attended today and to the dozens of organizations who are part of the Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness for working with those most in need in our region—compassionately, skillfully, comprehensively.
