Dozens of Blessed Sacrament shelter residents find stable housing

Read the original article by Meghan Parsons on Spectrum News 1

PUBLISHED 11:30 AM ET Mar. 07, 2023

WORCESTER, Mass. – Thirty previously homeless people who stayed at the temporary homeless shelter at the Blessed Sacrament Church, including five veterans, now have stable, permanent housing, according to the shelter’s operator, Open Sky Community Services.

Open Sky said 75% of their clients at the shelter have met with a case manager, 17 people have found jobs and 83 people have submitted applications for housing. The shelter has faced criticism from neighboring residents and businesses, but Open Sky president Ken Bates said on the inside they are making a difference and changing people’s lives for the better.

“I’m extremely proud of the outcomes that we’ve had and the support that we’ve had from the community has been incredible,” Bates said. “So more than 30 people served since December 19 have obtained housing which is just incredible.

“It speaks to the efforts of our staff and the entire community, including Worcester city councilor Etel Haxhiaj. We can’t do this alone, we work closely with the city. We can’t do this alone, so we are really proud of the support we get from everybody.”

The shelter has served more than 160 people since opening in December. It’s set to close at the end of March.