Since 1969, Pine Street Inn has provided housing and other services to more than 1,400 homeless individuals every day. The organization has become one of the largest of its kind in New England, and now the South End nonprofit is on the move.
Pine Street Inn plans to redevelop the 130-room Comfort Inn on Morrissey Boulevard into permanent, supportive housing, that offers people with both an affordable place to live and provides services like case management. According to reports, roughly 104 units would be available for housing, with the rest of the rooms allocated for lounges and office space for Pine Street Inn workers.
“Hotels are pretty easily convertible, because you've got a bathroom already, you've got the room. They don't need a lot of work," Lyndia Downie, president and executive director of Pine Street Inn said on Boston Public Radio on Friday. "And this hotel is in pretty good shape."
But these plans have been met with opposition from the local community. Back in September, a community meeting was held in the Murphy School where members of the community expressed concerns regarding the project and the overall concept of bringing homeless people to the neighborhood.
Downie said people are worried that the project will create a situation similar to what has happened near Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, known as Mass. and Cass., an area marked with longstanding issues of homelessness, poverty and substance use.
“It’s mostly based in fear. ... Frankly, a lot of people are worried that Mass. and Cass is moving to Dorchester. We're hearing that a lot,” Downie said. “Unfortunately, the press about Mass. and Cass makes it sound like it's the only thing happening in homelessness when you know there’s a lot going on everyday.”
According to a homeless census from February, the amount of homeless people in the city dropped 2.4%, from 1,659 in 2021 to 1,545 this year. The year before had a drop of 25%. Downie said that reduction is thanks to a number of factors, from prevention efforts and the pandemic eviction moratorium to creating more supportive housing.
Looking ahead, Downie said large numbers of people ask to volunteer at places like the Pine Street Inn around the fall and winter holidays — but sometimes there is an excess of volunteers.
“We’re grateful for the outpouring, [but] we like to stretch it out a little bit absolutely. Feel free to call us about Thanksgiving, but if we don't have room, I hope you'll call us back in order to come some other time,” she said.
