LYNN — State and local officials gathered at 91 Liberty St. Thursday morning to break ground on the Lynn Shelter Association’s $9.3 million homeless shelter.
LSA Chief Executive Officer Mark Evans said the project, which will include housing development, a medical clinic, and a rear courtyard, was motivated by the urge to provide the city’s homeless population with a dignified place to stay.
“When I first started, I went to the adult shelter, and a gentleman pulled me aside and said, ‘You’re making people live here in this disgusting basement with no ventilation, no AC, limited heat, lots of flooding,’ and I didn’t have anything good to say,” Evans said. “It just wasn’t a place to put human beings.”
With the support of Mayor Jared Nicholson, members of the state delegation, such as Rep. Dan Cahill and Sen. Brendan Crighton, along with a number of private supporters, Evans said the project has been fully funded and that construction is estimated to be completed in 12 months.
Addressing the crowd, Crighton stepped out of the spotlight, giving credit for the project to LSA and the City of Lynn.
“As a politician, I like to get up here to brag about things I’ve done or may not have done. Today, I’m not going to do that. I am here to say thank you to everyone who’s played a role in this and congratulate you— our role was very minimal,” Crighton said. “The word dignity has been used a lot today, and also, I think, hope, providing shelter but also providing hope for a better future for you and your family. It’s an honor to play the tiniest role possible here.”
Mayor Jared Nicholson, too, said he was proud to see the city stride toward its goal of finding dignified housing for each of its residents. He thanked LSA and all of the project’s partners for ensuring the new shelter “comes to life” the way the city hoped it would.
“If you believe that housing is a human right, which I do, then you need to act on that; you need to create the circumstances where even people in the most vulnerable situations truly have access to a place that respects their existence as humans and our neighbors,” Nicholson said.
