CHD Joins Effort to Help Displaced Residents of Condemned Building

They were individuals renting illegal units and living in a commercial building that had no heat, running water, or functioning plumbing—about a dozen people in the middle of the coldest winter in recent years. All of them were displaced when the city of Holyoke needed to condemn the building on February 3 for health and safety reasons, so a 13-member emergency response team, including CHD employees, set up a temporary assistance center for them at the War Memorial building on Appleton Street.

The CHD staff, from our division of Diversion, Shelter, and Housing (DSH), were joined by city employees and nonprofit organizations, including Enlace de Familias and Way Finders, to provide housing, services, and referrals to the residents.

The temporary assistance center at the War Memorial Building on Appleton Street in Holyoke

“The city of Holyoke did a really great job—despite the significant complications of this living situation, the city’s response was incredibly effective and person-centered,” said Christy O’Brien, senior division director of DSH. “They were very organized in pulling providers like CHD in. It takes true collaboration to set up an assistance center that quickly. It was a pretty robust response.”

The displaced people received mental health supports and short-term housing assistance. DSH staff responding to the crisis included Care Coordinator Lisbeth Santos, Clinical Director Danielle Hartner, Domestic Violence Navigator Nancy Alvarado, Outreach Workers Monica Matias and Eric Medina, and Family Caseworker Annette Arocho.

The condemned building, at 56-58 Suffolk Street, also lacked fire alarms and sprinkler systems.

Rising housing costs caused by high housing demand and limited supply has contributed to the homelessness crisis and the number of displaced people in the area. At a January 29 Point-in-Time Count of unhoused individuals, which will be submitted to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of a national effort, DSH teams and other community partners found more than 87 homeless people in Holyoke alone—including some who live in tent encampments in wooded areas.

“The situation on Suffolk Street is a testament to the conditions people are willing to live in because there’s so little affordable housing out there,” said O’Brien.