by Barbara Magnuson
Vern and I did go into Boston (State House) and it was terrific. We estimate about 200 people showed up. Talked with MA State Representative from Worcester and West Boylston, James J. O’Day (I believe, the ONLY legislator present) who started his career as a Social Worker and knows intimately the effects of good and bad policies enacted at the state level – genuinely concerned about homeless families! Also spoke with a director of a homeless shelter and he says that the state has hired more people to staff the DHCD – making more levels of bureaucracy- and it’s harder for him to get services for his clinics, rather than more efficient. We found out from him that the housing built at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod to house victims of Hurricane Katrina is now empty and not being used!! There are solutions available, but the state is not paying attention to this dire circumstance for homeless families. We were very glad we went!!
Here’s some video footage, courtesy of Bil Lewis: