City health director says hotel shelter use will end June 30; council refers update to municipal safety committee

Councilor Manning Martin read a communication from Sharon Cameron, the city’s director of public health, saying Centre Board, the private contractor managing the Holiday Inn shelter, informed the city that the use of hotels as emergency shelters statewide will end on June 30, 2025.

The communication, read into the record at the May 8 Peabody City Council meeting, said Centre Board currently has 71 families at the Holiday Inn — 106 adults and 31 children — and is working to place those families into permanent housing. It added that any families not placed by the hotel closure date will be transferred to scattered-site shelters and that families will continue to receive up to two years of stabilization services from Centre Board or similar agencies after exiting shelter.

The council learned that the city had not received direct notification from the state office referenced in the communication (EOHLC). Councilor Joseph McGinn moved to refer the matter to the municipal safety committee so the council can track placements and any local supports needed; the council approved the referral.

Why it matters: the June 30 date shortens the timeline for moving families from the hotel into permanent housing or other shelter arrangements and triggers follow-up responsibilities for city departments and committees. Councilors said the issue had been under review previously and that the updated timeline warranted renewed committee attention.

Councilor Manning Martin read the Centre Board notice aloud at the meeting; the text he read said, “We have been informed by Centre Board today that the state has notified them that the use of hotels as emergency shelters across the state will end on 06/30/2025. Centre Board currently has 71 families in residence at the Holiday Inn, 106 adults and 31 children. They are working on placing all families into permanent housing. Any families not placed by the hotel closure date will be transferred to scattered site shelters. Families will continue to receive up to 2 years of stabilization services from Centre Board or similar agencies depending on where the permanent housing is upon their exit from shelter.”

Next steps: the council referred the communication to the municipal safety committee for additional review and ongoing updates to the full council.