Action taken due to a lack of capacity at state-funded emergency shelters
MANCHESTER, NH – Due to the increase in unsheltered homelessness and lack of emergency shelter beds across the state of New Hampshire, the City of Manchester has opened the William B. Cashin Senior Activity Center at 151 Douglas St. as an additional temporary warming station for individuals in Manchester experiencing homelessness.
The Cashin Center will open this evening, January 6th, at 7 p.m. and close at 6 a.m. daily. The temporary shelter will be staffed by the Fire & Police Departments, and transportation will be provided to and from 1269 Cafe (456 Union Street) beginning at 7 p.m. Temporary storage of items will be provided.
Hours of operations for the temporary warming station will not interfere with regular business or senior activities. Aramark will be performing deep cleaning and sanitization every morning, including electrostatic sprayers and disinfecting of surfaces. In response to COVID-19, the City of Manchester improved ventilation and filtration in the building through federal funding provided by the American Rescue Plan.
The William B. Cashin Senior Activity Center has been part of the City of Manchester’s Emergency Operations Plan for decades, and was last used as a temporary shelter when the State of New Hampshire cleared an encampment off the County Courthouse property in November of 2020.
“The Cashin Center is a valued space in the Manchester community that has a particular significance for me and my family,” said Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Management Ryan Cashin. “The decision to use this space as a temporary emergency warming station was made to address the urgent need to save lives this winter.”
The Manchester Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was activated this afternoon to serve as a consolidation point for the first responders and departments to facilitate decision making during emergency situations.
Through the EOC, The City of Manchester continues to pursue a more suitable space for a 24/7 emergency winter shelter, due to a lack of capacity at state-funded emergency shelters across the state, including the Families in Transition Adult Emergency Shelter located in Manchester, as well as other solutions to address homelessness.