Commonwealth of Massachusetts Safety Net Family Shelter

The Safety Net Family Shelter opened on Friday, December 22, 2023. 

Safety Net Family Shelter will operate during the evening and overnight hours. The state is working with provider AMI and local community partners to coordinate transportation to daytime resources generally outside of Cambridge.

The service areas have the capacity to accommodate approximately 70 families.

The Safety Net Family Shelter will be managed by AMI, an organization the state works with on other Emergency Assistance shelters. 

 

If you are interested in supporting the Safety Net Shelter Site in Cambridge, please read the following. The state is leading the effort to care for families and ensure that their basic needs are met. The City is communicating regularly with shelter staff and will let the community know if there are in-kind donations that would be helpful.

In the interim, if you are interested in supporting the community through our nonprofit partners supporting new arrivals and homeless individuals and families, please see the opportunities below.

Volunteering Opportunities

Where you can support Organizations Supporting New Arrivals

People can also now bring donations to either of the following State Welcome Centers:

• Quincy Family Welcome Center: Cove Fine Arts Center 56 Wendell Ave, Quincy MA 02170
• Allston Family Welcome Center: Brazilian Worker Center 14 Harvard Ave #2 Allston, MA 02134

Where you can support Shelters for Unhoused Families

Where you can support Shelters for Unhoused Individuals

Visit here to find additional information regarding local homeless services.

The Safety Net Family Shelter is run by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' and works with the Continuum of Care to provide safe shelter for all people experiencing homelessness. In addition to safety-net shelter options like the shelter in East Cambridge, the state run Family Welcome Centers in Allston and Quincy offer services, including hot meals and basic necessities like diapers, warm clothes, and hygiene kits. They work with families on a case-by-case basis to determine safe housing alternatives and connect them with community-based services and behavioral health supports.  

Locally, the City of Cambridge offers the Winter Warming Center, the Transition Wellness Center, and the Multi-Service Center and works with other Cambridge non-profits in a shared mission to provide safe shelter for people experiencing homelessness and to connect them with resources that promote their wellbeing.

This location opened in Cambridge, as demand for shelters across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been driven primarily by the high cost and limited availability of housing, a surging number of newly-arriving migrant families and a decreased number of families leaving long-term emergency shelter.   Since January 2023, EOHLC worked to increase the number of shelter units to meet the increased demand, entering into emergency contracts with service providers and seeking housing space across the state.

There were a number of variables associated with the Registry of Deeds location, including the fact that it offered plenty of available indoor space.

A majority of families are expected to stay at the Safety Net Family Shelter for a matter of days, as they wait for an Emergency Assistance shelter unit to become available. The Family Shelter is expected to remain open at least through the winter months.

Utility work was conducted in January 2024 in order to install mobile shower facilities -- for temporary use in the parking lot --- that are exclusively accessible for guests staying at the State's new Safety Net Family Shelter.

The ability to provide security for the facility and surrounding community was a top consideration by the State for the Safety Net Family Center.  24-hour security will be provided on-site by the State and they will be supported by Cambridge Police Officers who patrol the East Cambridge neighborhood. The proposed configuration and security plan will minimize any potential impact or disruption to the immediate neighborhood.

Officials from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and City of Cambridge hosted a virtual information session about the new Safety Net Family Shelter on December 28, 2023. Learn about the state shelter, the families it is supporting, how the community can help, and more. State and city officials also answered questions about the shelter.

 

Any resident, business or non-profit organization in the city can email housingliaison@cambridgema.gov or call (617) 349-7222.

The EA Emergency Family Shelter system is for families with children under 21 years of age and individuals who are pregnant. Families who are facing homelessness can apply by phone at (866) 584-0653. For additional information on the Commonwealth Emergency Housing Assistance Programs, visit https://www.mass.gov/emergency-housing-assistance.