City Council Joins Arrigo in Opposition to Homeless Center at Quality Inn

From the moment the story first surfaced that the Boston Public Health Commission was looking at the Quality Inn, Revere, as a potential site for a homeless transitional center, Mayor Brian Arrigo stood firm in opposition to the proposal.

Arrigo’s efforts in fighting back and taking that fight to the public immediately did not go unnoticed by his colleagues in city government.

“The issue has received quite a bit of press over the last couple of weeks to the point where everybody in the city wants to talk about it,” said Councillor-at-Large Gerry Visconti at Monday’s Council meeting.

Addressing homeless individuals in Boston, Visconti added, “I am so deeply sorry that Acting Mayor Kim Janey, the Boston City Council, and the Boston Public Health Commission has failed you. The fact that they have the audacity to put their heads in the sand for the past 10 years and then all of sudden want to push that problem over to the Revere area is inconceivable, it is unbelievable.”

“We have our own problem of substance abuse that we are dealing with, and homelessness that we’re dealing with in this city – and to try to push that on our city right now, we can’t deal with that.”

Visconti was interrupted by applause from the audience in the Council Chambers following his opening statement. The first-term councillor was forceful and eloquent in his opposition to the proposal. Observers said after the meeting that it may have been Visconti’s most powerful address in what has been a successful first term for the popular legislator.

“I’m sorry, Mayor Janey, Revere is not and will not be your dumping grounds for your problem,” said Visconti. “The residents of North Revere don’t want this. The residents of West Revere don’t want this. The entire city doesn’t want this. To Mayor Janey, I leave you with one message – not now, now ever.”

Ward 6 Councillor Richard Serino said the property in question is in Ward 6. “Obviously a lot of people are not only concerned, but they feel terrible that the plan calls for taking homeless people who are in the City of Boston and just placing them in this hotel,” said Serino. “The location of the Quality Inn – people just see it’s on Route 1 and say there’s nothing around them – well right behind the Quality Inn, there are homes and residents in North Revere,” said Serino, noting there are no adequate resources available at the hotel. “You’re taking people who need our help and you’re only making their bad situation worse because you just want to bring them to another community and bring the problem and have us solve it.”

Council President Anthony Zambuto spoke about the unity among Mayor Arrigo and his colleagues on the City Council.

“We’re all on the same page in this issue – the mayor, the administration – we’re working cooperatively, and I’ve never seen such unity. I’ve been here a long time, and I’ve never seen this kind of unity. This is something in which we are standing for what’s right. As my colleague said, we will not be steamrolled, and we will not be forced, especially to do something that’s not coordinated, as the COVID-19 thing was very coordinated with the state and all our partners, and it was done properly.”

Ward 4 Councillor Patrick Keefe said, “We are a growing city, but we can’t handle it [the homeless transitional center being placed in Revere]. We’ve been a very good neighbor [to Boston]. Revere has done its part through the COVID-19 pandemic. Revere will continue to do its part to serve its residents. There are homeless issues in the city of Revere. We have to take care of our problems first before we can take on one of the richest economies in the world in the City of Boston. Before we take care of that, we need to take care of Revere. We’re continuing to fight on this issue together. It’s not going to happen. Period. The end.”

Councillor-at-Large Steven Morabito said, “The City of Boston is not going to put the finger at us, and make us look like we have no empathy and that we’re turning the homeless away.

“Boston basically tried to calm their political storm by relocating their issue to Revere – and it’s not going to happen,” said Morabito. “It’s very important that we, one Revere, we’re united. Together we stand and we’re going to fight this, because we need to take care of our own before we can even think of helping anyone in a neighboring city.”

Morabito said that “Revere is not backing down,” and with Mayor Brian Arrigo getting out quickly and vigorously on the issue, the unified approach between the Arrigo administration and the City Council is working well.