Suffolk University Transforms Dorm Into Housing for the Homeless During Coronavirus Crisis
“We stand ready to help in any way”
There is a petition calling on Harvard to do this. Suffolk made the decision on their own.
WCVB News in Boston reports:
Suffolk University dorm transformed into shelter for homeless during coronavirus crisis
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced the creation Sunday of hundreds of additional beds to house the city’s homeless population.
“These additional beds will ease the burden on our shelters as they practice physical distancing. They will provide more safe spaces for homeless individuals to safely quarantine,” Walsh said.
The project includes 172 new beds at a dorm building on the Suffolk University campus, Walsh said. It will be managed by the Pine Street Inn and the Boston Public Health Commission.
University officials identified the building in use as Miller Hall, which is located at 10 Somerset St.
“We stand ready to help in any way,” Suffolk University President Marisa Kelly said in a statement. “Boston is our home, and the University takes very seriously its responsibility to be a good citizen at a time when we are all being called upon to pitch in and help.”
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Comments
It’s the compassionate thing to do, but I hope they don’t ever expect to get that dorm building back. May not be an issue if the college in question has dropping enrollment and a surplus of dorm space even prior to Hunan Flu, but…..
Post hurricanes, FEMA “temporary” housing residents followed the disaster 10/80/10 (SelfStarter/average/AggresivelyPassive) ratio so often seen in disaster scenarios. 10% couldn’t wait to leave ASAP, 80% left when told it was time, 10% had to be pried out of there with metaphorical crowbars, despite the housing (trailers) being condemned as unsafe for long term residence due to excess chemical outgassing. Given that the Homeless are not the general pop, and that they will have even less average life skills and resources than the general pop, this is not a loaner you can expect to be returned, imho.
Oh, they’ll get the dorm building back. I worked in dorm maintenance for a few years in college to make ends meet. When the U says go, whoever is in the room is gone. I just don’t think those rooms will be worth living in for months afterward. College students are messy and marginally destructive, but they stick together and have a sense of floor-community. Between drug abuse, assault, robbery, mentally ill people, fires being set, destruction for the simple reason of being destructive, and theft, what will be left after this is all over is going to be needing hosed out and fully refurbished.
Seems a bit harsh, you guys. I have a pretty good feeling that Suffolk’s administration understood what is likely to occur. I say we need to applaud their attempt to pitch in for the good of everyone.
Fleas and lice everywhere. And the rooms will smell ‘ripe’. What else could go wrong? Since when is a private institution required to take care of homeless? It would be like some entity taking my new car and using it as a homeless transport vehicle. And all the costs to do this would end up being rolled into tuition hikes. Dumb.