Major Worcester Homeless Shelter Shutting Down
WORCESTER (CBS) - A Worcester shelter, with a long history of taking in some of the cities' most desperate and troubled homeless people, is closing its doors after supper Monday night.
A concerted effort by the city and several social service agencies has made the People in Peril shelter, commonly known as PIP, obsolete.
Some of the last clients were moved into independent living apartments on Monday. In the last fourteen months more than 300 people have been re-housed with family, friends or in single-room affordable apartments.
"About a year ago we started a process of moving people into housing rather than going directly into shelter, or as soon as they get into shelter rapidly re-housing," said David McCloskey, director of PIP.
Podcast
David McCloskey of PIP speaks with WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones
McCloskey scoffed at those who say they are simply moving the problem around.
"Last year we had a significant number of chronically homeless people; people who had lived in the shelter for ten, fifteen years. They are not here," he said.
There are some emergency beds in Worcester for the handful of chronically homeless shelter residents who have yet to be placed.
