By Adam Swift
Over the past several months, city officials have been coordinating with the state to help handle the influx of migrant families that are currently being sheltered in Revere, as well as other communities throughout the state.
At a meeting of the city’s Community Response Network on Monday, Public Health Director Lauren Buck gave an update on the current status of migrant families in the city.
“The state has been coordinating the large influx of migrant families we have seen over the last three to four months,” said Buck. “There are welcome centers where the families are hopefully being directed. None of the welcome centers are necessarily close; they are opening one in Quincy and there is one in (Jamaica Plain) I believe.”
Revere has families that have been placed through the EA (emergency assistance) shelter program, with the majority of families from Haiti, Buck said. In addition to migrant families, Buck noted that the EA shelter program in the state is also open to people who are homeless but not necessarily new to the country.
“Our role in this in the last three months we’ve been involved has been trying to coordinate and make sure these families are set up with all the appropriate resources, that they are connected with the Revere Public Schools, and they are making sure they have medical clearance and medical screenings.”
Children from most of the families are enrolled in Revere schools or getting enrolled in early education programs such as Head Start, Buck said.
As in other communities, the state is sheltering the majority of the migrant families in hotels.
“We’ve had some very generous donations and done some clothing drives,” said Buck. “We’ve worked with the state to help organize regular meals, because if you are living in a hotel room, you don’t necessarily have access or the ability to cook meals.”
Almost all of the families have been set up with SNAP and WIC benefits, Buck added.
“Because of the large influx of families, the National Guard was deployed by the governor,” said Buck. “Although we haven’t had the National Guard into some of our hotels, I believe they will be coming soon to help with organization. So far, we have not necessarily had any big issues; our families are doing really well and the kids are in school.”
