Our community has identified the need for additional resources for adult individuals in Cambridge who are not able to stay in conventional shelters, due to personal circumstances or mental health conditions. These individuals sleep outdoors by default and are subject to hazardous conditions, especially during the winter months. Concerned stakeholders have been in a planning process for the past year to bring an indoor overnight warming center to Cambridge during the winter season.
The objective is to provide a welcoming, low threshold, indoor overnight service that will provide food, a safe place to rest, and protection from inclement weather. Information regarding community resources and services will also be available.
The City issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a provider to operate the Warming Center. Bay Cove Human Services was selected to operate the service. Bay Cove Human Services/ CASPAR, Inc. currently operates shelter and outreach services in Cambridge. They also have experience with operating a night center and warming center in Boston.
Bay Cove is actively working with multiple city departments, the Cambridge Police Department, first responders, outreach teams, and other homeless service providers to plan and launch the initial season of the winter warming center. Outreach and police partners will support Warming Center operations by offering transport to individuals who are residing outdoors during extreme weather and are interested in getting indoors for the evening.
The Warming Center will share seasonal nighttime space in the basement of the Cambridge Senior Center located at 806 Massachusetts Avenue. The service will operate from approximately 7:30 PM to 6:30 AM, 7 nights per week. We anticipate opening in mid-January of 2018 and the service will continue through March.
Based on data available about individuals sleeping outdoors during the winter, we anticipate that an average of 25-35 guests will utilize the Warming Center per evening. In addition to food and an indoor space to rest, guests will be assisted in connecting to first responders regarding all serious health and safety concerns. Additionally, information regarding other community services will be available. This will include providing direct access to the Cambridge Coordinated Access Network (C-CAN) to be assessed for potential housing opportunities.
The Warming Center is intended to ensure optimal health and safety for all guests, staff, and nearby neighbors. Guests will be welcomed to the space through an intake process on the interior of the building, thereby limiting time spent outdoors. Staff will monitor guests during outside breaks. The Cambridge Police Department has also committed to assigning an officer to the area during the warming center season.
Breakfast will be served at 5:30 AM each morning and guests will depart by 6:30 AM. The CASPAR First Step Homeless Outreach Team will provide transport for the warming center guests to the emergency services shelter in the morning.