PEABODY — City councilors pressed department heads and Mayor Ted Bettencourt for details Thursday night on the state-run migrant shelter at the Holiday Inn, raising concerns over living conditions, increased public safety responses, and the lack of communication from state officials as the December 31, 2025 closure date approaches.
The discussion came during a Municipal Safety Committee meeting, chaired by Councilor Anne Manning-Martin, and included updates from Fire Chief Jay Dowling, Police Chief Thomas Griffin, Health Director Sharon Cameron, Building Commissioner Thomas St. Pierre.
“This is not an easy subject, but it’s one we need to go over and share with the public,” Manning-Martin said. “The goal is to keep residents informed, not in the dark.”
As of this week, Cameron said, the Holiday Inn is the only Peabody hotel still operating as a shelter, housing 75 families — 138 children and 115 adults, for a total of 253 individuals. SpringHill Suites ceased shelter operations several months ago, and Extended Stay America closed just last week. Some families from those locations were relocated to the Holiday Inn, including several from a shuttered Danvers site.
Cameron said families with school-aged children recently moved to the Holiday Inn will remain enrolled in Danvers Public Schools through the end of the academic year. She also confirmed that the Holiday Inn will be one of the last hotels to close, with a target shutdown date of Dec. 31.
Although the Health Department has fielded complaints about pest activity, sewage backups, and water system issues, Cameron said hotel management has been responsive.
“These are hotel rooms not designed for long-term living,” Cameron said. “The facility will likely need substantial cleaning, upgrades, and remediation before it can return to hotel use.”
Councilor David Gamache asked whether the city had data on the number of rooms used and the origin of shelter residents.
Cameron estimated that the Holiday Inn had used about 108 rooms at its peak, but she did not have a breakdown of how many residents were U.S. citizens or migrants. That information, she said, would be held by Centerboard, the shelter’s service provider.
Councilors also raised concerns about the lack of fines or penalties issued to the hotel for past compliance issues. Cameron said the city typically refrains from issuing fines when a facility demonstrates good faith efforts to fix problems.
Fire Chief Dowling reported a fivefold increase in fire department calls to the Holiday Inn compared to pre-shelter use, citing 278 total responses across all three hotels over 14 months — most for medical emergencies. Although cooking is not allowed on-site, one child sustained second-degree burns from spilled takeout soup, prompting a delayed emergency response.
“We’re still doing quarterly inspections — sprinkler systems, egress checks, fire alarms,” Dowling said. “There’s no cooking in the rooms, and we’re monitoring for overcrowding and safety risks.”
Building Commissioner St. Pierre said the hotel is at least 40–50 years old and has sustained “hard use” during its time as a shelter. Once the site reverts from state to local jurisdiction, his office will require a new occupancy permit and comprehensive inspections before it can reopen as a hotel.
“The state hasn’t communicated much with us,” he said. “But we plan to coordinate across departments before any permits are issued.”
Police Chief Griffin shared that calls to the shelter area have tripled since 2022, with a corresponding rise in arrests and public safety responses.
While the city has received $104 per day per student enrolled in Peabody Public Schools, no other funds from the state have been provided to cover increased fire, police, or health department demands.
Mayor Bettencourt echoed those concerns. “This was something thrust upon us with little input,” he said. “We’ve had very little involvement in planning or communication from the state.”
Bettencourt and several councilors commended local staff, teachers, and public safety personnel for rising to the challenge. Councilor Stephanie Peach highlighted the role of school resource officers, who hosted outreach events at the hotel and helped migrant students transition into city schools.
“These students are part of our community,” she said. “And I’m proud of how Peabody responded — not with judgment, but with compassion.”
Councilors agreed to continue monitoring the situation in the months ahead and urged the state to provide more transparency about the closure timeline, funding, and responsibility for future renovations at the Holiday Inn.
“If the state expects Peabody taxpayers to foot the bill for hotel repairs,” Manning-Martin said, “they’ll have a fight on their hands.”
Bettencourt agreed, adding that while the city has not received direction from the state about renovations, he does not expect local funds to be used.
“If that’s something the state tries to put on us, we’ll be ready to push back,” Bettencourt said. “That’s not a cost Peabody should bear.”
