New Milford Homeless Shelters Open Ahead Of Arctic Blast

MILFORD, MA — Three new temporary homeless shelters are ready to open in Milford as sub-zero temperatures freeze the area. The shelters will be open at local churches and have been approved by town officials, but only one shelter will be open at a time.

The shelters have been in the process of getting up and running since early October. Faith leaders have noticed an uptick in homeless people in Milford, and the closest shelters are located as far away as Worcester and Framingham.

"We're finding that homelessness in Milford looks different from more urbanized cities," the Rev. Eric Rodriguez of The Way church told Patch in October. "What you'll find here are people couch surfing, and some we've discovered are pitching tents in wooded areas and that's what they're calling home."

The shelters were opened with the approval of the Milford Health Department, fire department, and police. Since the shelters are staffed by volunteers, they will open as volunteers are available.

According to the National Weather Service, an "arctic blast" will move into the region Wednesday night, with temperatures dropping to minus 10 degrees in Worcester County early Thursday morning.

The shelters will be operating at these Milford churches:

• First Congressional Church, 4 Congress St.
• St. Mary's of Assumption, 17 Winter St.
• Trinity Episcopal Church, 17 Congress St.

If you need shelter, call 508-488- 9107 or email pathwaytoabetterlife2019@gmail.com.

Clarification: An earlier version of this story did not specify that only one shelter would be open per night.