A citizen response to the urgent need for emergency shelter beds in Franklin County

Announcing a Christmas Eve rally in front of the Farren, Montague City,

December 24, from 2 – 3 PM

With winter upon us, and not enough shelter beds in Franklin County to meet the needs of people who are unhoused, many community members face this emergency by sleeping out in the cold in cars or tents.  No one should spend winter nights unsheltered. And yet the former Farren Hospital in Turners Falls stands empty when only last April it housed 100 people. Why are our community and local non-profits responsible for homelessness services allowing vulnerable people to sleep out in the cold?

On Friday afternoon, December 24th, Christmas Eve, from 2 – 3 PM, concerned citizens will gather in front of the Farren to bring attention to this emergency. All are welcome to join this peaceful action.

We ask: why is there no room at the Inn?

Why is it that an ice storm knocking out electricity for people with houses is considered an emergency worthy of providing emergency shelter, but people without housing, living in tents in the cold, is not considered an emergency?

Basically, our community is saying it is an emergency when people who have houses don’t have electricity, but it isn’t an emergency when people don’t have a house.

Open the Farren NOW to serve as an emergency shelter for this winter.

We call on community and state officials and ServiceNet to work with the owners of the Farren to make this happen NOW!

Many organizations and individuals are working on increasing the supply of affordable housing and supportive housing in Franklin County. That issue is related to, and also separate from, the need for emergency shelter right now. Each year for many years, many people and organizations are concerned about the need for increased emergency shelter space during the winter. Againthis year, there is concern and discussion, but additional emergency shelter space in Franklin County for the winter has not been created. It’s time to make this the last winter that there is inadequate shelter space in Franklin County. Partial solutions are not acceptable