By Dakota Antelman — [email protected]
The state has made progress on pest remediation at the emergency shelter on Elm Street.
Some problems with the building remain, though. School leaders are still waiting for the state to finalize a funding extension for students from the shelter. And long-term plans are up in the air following Gov. Maura Healey’s directive to close all hotel shelters by the end of the year.
“It’s an evolving situation right now,” schools Superintendent Laurie Hunter said during a January School Committee meeting.
Fewer families
Officials converted the former Best Western Hotel in March 2023 amid a surge of people seeking help under Massachusetts’ right-to-shelter law.
Public officials and private volunteers have praised the site as a model, highlighting broad community support. The site has also faced problems, including a cockroach infestation that prompted the state to pause new placements in November.
State investigators found maintenance issues during the visit where they confirmed the roach problem. More recently, the Concord Board of Health ordered the property owner to repair a glass balcony door and a crumbling balcony floor, public records show.
But the state has lifted the pause on new placements, according to Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities deputy communications director Kevin Connor. Three rooms were still offline as of January 17 “due to continued remediation.”
As recently as October 30, the shelter housed 104 families. By mid-January, that had dipped to 61.

Connor did not respond to a follow-up question about the decrease. In a recent letter to legislators, Healey said the number of families entering shelters has fallen statewide. The number moving out each month has increased.
Healey attached her letter to a $425 million spending proposal focused on supporting the shelter system through the end of the fiscal year in June. She later asked legislators to tighten the right-to-shelter law, including adding a residency requirement that could affect migrants seeking shelter.
The non-profit Making Opportunity Count operates the Concord hotel shelter, with Jamsan Hotel Management as the shelter’s landlord. A MOC representative deferred questions to the state. A Jamsan representative did not respond to Concord Bridge questions before press time.
Funding concerns
Current Concord shelter contracts expire at the end of the fiscal year. Connor said they’re up for renewal, but “no determinations have been made” about when the site will close.
Hunter said Concord expects some students from the shelter in the fall. As they prepare, officials are watching Beacon Hill for word on a subsidy for schools.
In a January 22 email, the superintendent highlighted Healey’s shelter spending proposal, which would prolong financial aid to schools. “We believe the state will continue to support school districts,” Hunter said.

On January 15, just under a week after Healey filed her plan, state Rep. Simon Cataldo (D-Concord) said he also remained optimistic about more funding.
The state legislature was considering Healey’s request as of January 28. While the governor promised continued education funding, her letter did specify whether the state would continue giving school districts $104 per day for each student from a shelter.
In response to questions from House Ways and Means Committee chair, Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston), administration officials confirmed in a letter on January 27 that they expect to continue the $104 per day payments.
Shutdown timing
Turning his attention to the hotel closure timeline, Cataldo said the governor should again keep schools in mind.
Federal law lets students experiencing homelessness temporarily keep attending a public school even if they move out of the area. The law tasks districts with transporting students. The state reimburses out-of-district transportation for students from shelters.
When families at hotels need to be transferred to another shelter, Cataldo said, Massachusetts can avoid costs “with proper planning” so that families enroll students in their new communities in a timely manner.
Connor said the EOHLC will notify families and communities “well in advance” to help families find housing before hotel shelters close. He said officials will also work to “ensure continuity in [students’] education.”
