GARDNER — The Super 8 Motel on Pearson Boulevard in Gardner will no longer serve as an emergency shelter for immigrant families, as confirmed by Mayor Michael Nicholson. The state’s decision, communicated through an email from Nicholson to City Councilor George Tyros on February 3, outlines a closure date “on or before June 30.”
According to The Gardner News, in October 2023, Nicholson revealed that 45 families, primarily from Haiti, were housed at the motel, with 20 children from these families enrolling in the Gardner public school system. The move to phase out the motel’s use as a shelter aligns with the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) plan to eliminate hotels as shelters by 2025.
In Nicholson’s email to Tyros, he included an email from Tyler Newhall, the EOHLC’s legislative director for emergency assistance and director of municipal relations, shared insights into the transition plans.
“In the coming months, service provider Making Opportunities Count (MOC) will continue to support families with case management and to secure permanent housing,” Newhall wrote. “It is our shared goal to support as many families as possible to exit the shelter system into safe and stable housing prior to the site closure.”
Newhall added that the state is actively engaging with community leaders to locate potential landlords and housing units available for families under the HomeBASE program, ensuring a smooth transition from the motel.
“EOHLC will support any families that remain eligible for EA [Emergency Assistance] who have not successfully exited shelter for stable housing…to transfer to an alternative family shelter location,” Newhall stated.
Moreover, state education officials and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education are set to notify local school districts about the closure to prepare for any changes in student enrollment and transportation needs.
EOHLC and other state officials will inform families at the shelter about the upcoming closure. Additionally, community-based organizations and “local partners” will also be notified by these officials about the planned shutdown.
