BOSTON — State and local leaders are preparing to move the dozens of migrants sleeping on the floor at Boston’s Logan Airport to a facility in Roxbury.
On Wednesday, officials will be opening up the Melnea Cass Recreation Complex as a temporary “safety-net” site. But some, including the Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, are not happy about this move.
As many as 400 migrant families and homeless people could be staying at the site through the spring. That means this facility will be closed off to the public until then.
Boston 25 News cameras captured video of several migrants sleeping on the floor at terminal E at Logan Airport Friday. An airport spokesperson told us the airport is not a shelter.
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In a letter to lawmakers, Gov. Maura Healey laid out specific plans for using the Melnea Cass recreational complex as a temporary overflow site for migrants.
Healey pledged to close the shelter by the end of May, allowing the complex to reopen its pool and facilities to the public by late June.
The Cass Complex on Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard in Roxbury is the Department of Conservation’s only year-round indoor facility that has a field house and outdoor pool.
On WBUR radio, Wu said this is painful for a community that has already experienced decades of redlining and disproportionate outcomes.
According to Healey’s letter, the state plans to staff this shelter around the clock, provide three meals a day, and offer services like health care, legal assistance, and help with school enrollment.
Emergency Assistance Director General Scott Rice said the goal is to make sure that no family is left out in the cold.
“We appreciate the collaboration of the City, Roxbury elected officials, and the community who worked with us to ensure we could provide families with a safe and warm place to stay while minimizing the impact on the Roxbury community,” Rice said in a statement.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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