LYNN — One floor of the Lynn YMCA has been converted into a temporary homeless shelter, which allows for more social distancing than what residents had at the city’s emergency shelter.
Residents from the Lynn Emergency Shelter on Willow Street were moved into the newly renovated third floor of the YMCA last week, which will serve as a shelter until further notice.
The Lynn YMCA can safely hold up to 35 shelter clients while maintaining proper distancing, but there were only about 25 residents who moved over, according to Patrick Byrne, homeless liaison for Lynn.
Those numbers are much lower than the emergency shelter’s typical capacity of 65 people, said Byrne, who attributed the drop to the shelter’s decision to stop taking new guests during the outbreak. Other contributing factors included clients who got sick and left and others who were temporarily taken in by their families, he said.
Guests were tested for COVID-19 prior to the move and the three people who tested positive were moved to the state’s isolation centers in Everett or Lexington, Byrne said.
“It had been our goal from the outset to depopulate the shelter to protect the safety of the guests of the shelter as well as the community at large,” said Byrne. “We didn’t want them to be active carriers of the disease into the community, so the need for having this site was apparent from the first day. The fact that we were able to attain it at this time provides us with a certain amount of relief.”
Byrne said the idea came about during a teleconference that included nonprofits in the community, which are part of the city’s Continuum of Care (COC). Part of the discussion centered around finding space for the shelter that allowed for proper social distancing, as the emergency shelter was not large enough, he said.
Birgitta Damon, CEO of LEO Inc., reached out to Tom Lorello, director of clinical operations and training for the Lynn Shelter Association, and put him in touch with her contact at the Lynn YMCA, Byrne said.
From there, Byrne said Mayor Thomas M. McGee “fast tracked” the process, the city’s Department of Community Development provided some of the funds and the Lynn Fire Department provided the manpower to move the beds and care kits into the space.
“The temporary isolation center at the YMCA is just one of several ways we are ensuring that those who need it can find a safe place to shelter,” said McGee in a statement. “I’m grateful to the Lynn YMCA and the Lynn Shelter Association for working with us to protect people who are homeless and most vulnerable to the devastating effects of COVID-19.”
Andrea Baez, branch executive director for the Lynn YMCA, said the YMCA had the space to offer and was “more than happy to help” when asked. The shelter is using the floor that had been renovated for the Y’s after school program.
“The Lynn Shelter Association said they were in need of space in order to keep their clients socially distanced and we had space and we were trying to help in any capacity we can,” said Baez. “I think it’s fantastic. I think that whatever it is the YMCA can do to support the community through these unbelievable days, we will do that.”
The temporary shelter is another housing effort the city has undertaken to allow for more social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak for people who live in crowded environments.
Lynn has partnered with Beverly and Salem to create a temporary quarantine site for the homeless at the Salem High School fieldhouse. Another partnership among Lynn, Chelsea and Revere has established a hotel as a safe place to quarantine for infected residents who live in overcrowded conditions.
Although Lynn has been hit hard by the coronavirus, Byrne said numbers have not been alarmingly high among the homeless. He said cases have been consistent with people who are in close proximity with others, noting that the virus has not spread quickly in spaces such as the city’s homeless shelter and My Brother’s Table.
“We all owe a tip of the cap to the direct care workers and case managers at the shelter,” said Byrne. “Their patience (and) work ethic has been tremendous. Once again, it’s the folks on the front line that continue to work and it’s been exemplary.”
