The state’s top housing official is pledging to reduce the number of homeless families sheltered in motels in western Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Housing Undersecretary Aaron Gornstein said the state will seek alternative locations to house the homeless families and provide more social workers to help them find jobs and permanent housing.
"We are going to constantly employing new strategies and innovative ideas to help the families get back on their feet."
Gornstein met Thursday with Chicopee Mayor Richard Kos and several state legislators. More than 10 percent of the 2,000 families currently in the state’s emergency shelter system are housed in three motels in Chicopee. Kos said it is putting a strain on schools and public safety. The state has budgeted $140 million this year for emergency shelter for the homeless.
