NORFOLK, MASS. (WHDH) - Massachusetts officials say they have spent thousands of dollars in upgrades so far to convert the Bay State Correctional Center in Norfolk into an emergency migrant shelter.
There were protests when the state reopened the old prison as a shelter for migrant families, and now as taxpayers learn the price tag to convert the place, many more are raising eyebrows. As of Thursday, there were about 40 families staying at the facility.
A state representative said that the cost to convert the facility in Norfolk could be nearly $800,000. The prison will be used as a shelter for six to 12 months.
“We’re still collecting estimates on what we’re spending on some of the capital upgrades at that facility — think of that as ‘up to’ number. Those dollars haven’t been fully expended by any measure,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll.
As a “right to shelter” state, Massachusetts must find housing for homeless families and with the influx of migrants to the area, it’s been difficult to find spots.
“People shouldn’t be sleeping on the floor of the airport, and so we’re looking at all the resources we have. It’s probably more fiscally efficient to retrofit existing structures than it is to try and build new units right now,” said Massachusetts Sen. Lydia Edwards, of the 3rd Suffolk District.
Boston’s Logan International Airport is in Edwards’ district. She is one of 13 appointees to a recently established committee examining these issues.
“We have a moral compass and we have a basic standard of human dignity, which is that people have a right to shelter and so we’re doing the best to meet that,” Edwards said.
State housing officials said that to date, they have spent $317,000 on repairs to the old prison.
The Office of Public Safety and Inspections said the money was used to upgrade and improve painting, lighting, plumbing, electrical, and for childproofing the facility.
“We do make capital upgrades that are being put into the buildings that will support reuse,” Driscoll said. “We saw that at the Cass Center, Melnea Cass, where we made upgrades that now the community is going to be able to benefit from and we think Norfolk has great promise for use, that we’d love to talk to community members about, after this.”
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