NORFOLK – The first families moved into the old Bay State Correctional Center as those living in the city protested the decision of the state to open a new emergency shelter there.
It has been an ongoing battle in Norfolk for months. The state announced it would use its own site, the former prison, as the newest place for migrants and unhoused safety nets.
More than twenty families arrive
On Wednesday, the state said more than 20 families had been moved to the shelter. The state said up to 450 people would live at the center, which was a former minimum-security prison. That total would include about 150 school-age children who would need a seat in a Norfolk classroom.
CBS Boston
Benjamin Sprague, who has two students in Norfolk Public Schools, was at a town meeting Wednesday. “There’s no more music room,” Sprague said. “They have to play music in the classroom, so how do you adapt to have that many kids come into the school system without it affecting everything else?”
Concerns about city services
Norfolk has a population of about 11,000 and some worry that moving 450 migrants and unhoused people to the city would strain city services. There is only one ambulance in the city, but the state has agreed to contract special ambulance personnel for the shelter.
“It’s like Boston getting 25,000 people, that’s a four and a half percent increase overnight,” Sprague said.
A meeting is planned for July 11 to discuss education and the impact these additional students will have on schools.
Brandon Truit
