The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen on July 21 approved a 19‑month concept to keep the engagement center and emergency shelter at 39 Beach Street open through the coming winter and then transition to a smaller, higher‑barrier shelter, and authorized funding steps to expand transitional beds.

The vote, taken after more than two hours of public comment and board discussion, approved three linked elements: (1) the mayor’s 19‑month concept to maintain shelter operations through the winter while phasing to a smaller site, (2) an allocation of $50,000 to expand transitional bed capacity at the city’s partner 12‑69 Café, and (3) authorization for the mayor to execute short term contracts to operate the shelter while staff secure a replacement site. The board approved the overall concept by roll call vote (10–4). The board approved the $50,000 allocation by voice vote and authorized the short‑term contracts by roll call (majority approved).

Why it matters: 39 Beach Street has served hundreds of unhoused people since opening as an emergency response. Board members and public speakers portrayed the site as a crucial, life‑saving resource for people with serious health needs while also raising repeated complaints about neighborhood public‑safety impacts, mounting operational costs and the absence of long‑term housing alternatives.

The plan and the board response

In presenting the plan, the mayor summarized the choices the city faces and framed the proposal as a compromise intended to reduce the shelter footprint while protecting the most medically vulnerable residents who currently use the site. The mayor said the city had identified roughly 20 residents at the shelter who are medically fragile — including people on oxygen, wheelchair users and people over age 65 — and emphasized there are no short‑term nursing‑home placements available. “We don't want to evict those individuals that are deemed, exceptionally vulnerable,” the mayor said during the presentation.

The mayor told the board the proposed next steps would keep a shelter option open through the winter months, move to a smaller site in late winter or spring and increase transitional bed capacity through a $50,000 allocation to 12‑69 Café to staff and open additional transitional beds. He also said staff had negotiated a much lower cost for the new, smaller facility (roughly $6,000 per month) compared with the current site’s operating cost.

Board members split along familiar lines. Alderman Theriault said he would not support further shelter extensions, citing repeated constituent complaints about trespass, drug activity and neighborhood impacts: “I'm not gonna support you,” he said during debate. By contrast Alderman Vincent summarized the dilemma many members expressed: supporting a plan to move away from 39 Beach while trying to avoid returning people to street encampments during winter.

Several aldermen pressed the administration for additional data about outcomes tied to the shelter and engagement center. Alderman O'Neil asked directly, “Where have they been housed?” noting the city had reported roughly 60 people housed through engagement‑center efforts over the last 12 months but sought addresses and program details for follow‑up and coordination with employers and landlords. Other aldermen pressed for stronger enforcement tools, more police presence at hot spots and clearer accountability from nonprofit operators.

Public comment and provider testimony

Speakers during the public comment period offered sharply contrasting views. Maria Devlin, president and CEO of Families in Transition, urged the board to keep 39 Beach Street open through April 2026 to avoid forcing people onto the street in winter, saying the shelter and related warming sites reduce life‑threatening exposure and help prevent emergency department overflow. Several clergy and faith‑based leaders also urged a measured transition and more nonprofit coordination. By contrast residents from neighborhoods near the shelter described repeated criminal incidents, needles, open drug use and quality‑of‑life concerns for nearby homeowners and businesses.

Contracting, funding and transparency

The board approved giving the mayor authority to sign two six‑month contract extensions (with an option for a one‑month renewal) to cover the period while staff finalize the smaller replacement site and related fit‑out costs. The mayor said the only immediate allocation before the board was the $50,000 for transitional bed staffing; the remaining fit‑out costs for a new site would be brought to the board when they are known. Several aldermen insisted on stronger transparency for future contract terms and budgets before additional dollars are committed.

Votes at a glance

- Approve concept of 19‑month shelter transition plan (motion by Alderman Long; second Alderman Sapienza) — approved by roll call, recorded as 10 yes, 4 no.
- Allocate $50,000 to 12‑69 Café to expand transitional beds (motion by Alderman Long; second Alderman Sapienza) — approved by voice vote.
- Grant mayor authority to execute two six‑month contracts (with option for one additional month) to operate interim shelter sites (motion by Alderman Long; second Alderman Sapienza) — approved by roll call (majority).

What the plan does not do

The approvals were limited in scope: the board approved the concept and the immediate $50,000 allocation and authorized short‑term contract negotiations. The board did not approve a long‑term lease for a specific replacement site; the mayor said the exact location and any fit‑out budget would return to the board for formal action. Several aldermen insisted the board must see contract terms and budget details before authorizing further funding.

Outlook

Board members said they expect the administration to move quickly to identify and fit out the smaller facility and to present any resulting contracts and fit‑out budgets at the board’s September meeting. Supporters of the plan said the phased approach protects medically vulnerable residents this winter while bringing the city closer to a smaller, higher‑barrier shelter model. Critics said the city should either make the shelter high‑barrier now or close it, and several said the board must demand clearer outcomes metrics for housing placements and service referrals.