Bedford Plaza Results Show Gordon Kept His Word

Submitted by State Rep Kenneth Gordon

The number of homeless families sheltered in a Bedford hotel has dropped by half since Rep. Ken Gordon (D-Bedford), and most of the town, realized that 88 families were being housed at the Bedford Village Hotel in October.  Gordon promised at that meeting that the number of families would decrease, steadily, in the next several months. The results show he kept his word.

According to the Department of Housing and Community Development, the number of families staying at the facility dropped to 44 this week.  The number of children attending Bedford schools has also dropped in half, from a high of near 50 to 24.  All of the families who have been moved from the facility have been moved to a location closer to their home communities, offering greater amenities.

“I explained to our residents at that October meeting at Town Hall that DHCD had promised it would steadily bring the number of families in the facility down to a more reasonable number,” said Gordon. “We had support from leadership in the State House, which gave us the security we needed to expect DHCD would be true to its word. This is one of those times that government gave its word and stood by it.”

The number of residents in DHCD’s emergency shelter program increased last September, and was brought to light when school superintendent Jon Sills announced that the number of students attending the schools had swelled.  Gordon determined that the spike in assignments to Bedford was caused by an overall increase in homelessness in the Commonwealth. However, he also noticed that Bedford was absorbing an unreasonable number of families for a small town.

Gordon scheduled a meeting with DHCD undersecretary Aaron Gornstein and invited Bedford Town Manager Rick Reed and Sills.  Gordon created spread sheets and bar graphs, demonstrating the disproportionate number of families assigned to Bedford as opposed to other towns.  Gornstein promised Gordon, on the spot, that no new families would be sent to Bedford, and that the families then occupying the facility would be transitioned to more appropriate facilities when they became available.

Gornstein, a guest on Gordon’s cable TV show “Rappping with the Rep”, promised that the reduction in the number of families would not stop at 44. The focus will be on re-housing families with school aged children.

Meanwhile, Gordon has been working with State Sen. Michael Barrett (D-Lexington) to ensure that children of families assigned to the facility receive proper services, such as medical and dental care.  He has assisted local volunteer groups who help provide recreation and other opportunities for the children in the facility.

“By and large, the residents have shown a tremendous amount of patience, while the number of families decreased,” said Gordon.

Gordon will now turn his attention to the factors that caused the families to become homeless in the first place.  “We must address the root cause of poverty in our Commonwealth.  I am working to address the minimum wage, so that people working full time jobs can afford to put a roof over their head and food on the table.  At the same time, I am working on unemployment insurance reform so that most small businesses can save on insurance premiums, and other programs that will assist employers and keep businesses vibrant. We can do both.”