Outreach Team Levels Up During Winter Storms

When brutal winter weather hit Cape Cod, the Housing Assistance team was ready. While several unhoused people died from exposure in other parts of Massachusetts, that was not the case on Cape Cod, thanks to quick-response work by Housing Assistance and its partners.

The state’s biggest snowstorm in four years landed on January 24 and for three weeks after, nighttime temperatures were well below freezing, often in single digits.“When we saw the forecast, we implemented a ‘no one sleeps outside’ rule for the storm, and worked through the weekend implementing it,” said Tim Regan, assistant director of individual homeless services.“As a result, anyone who called and needed a hotel room got one, and we were able to work with towns to create an option for them when they ran into someone who needed shelter. The police departments in Harwich, Falmouth, Bourne and Sandwich all took advantage of this to get people placed.”

Regan said he got a call late that Saturday evening when the warming center in Falmouth was about to close.

A man who had nowhere else to go had walked in. Regan’s team quickly reserved a hotel room for him and the police department transported him there.

Regan doesn’t like to think about what would have happened without the quick response. “There were people in those hotel rooms who would’ve been outside all night, with nowhere to go, nowhere to heat up,” he said. “We have lost people in the past due to extreme cold. It’s tragic. One hundred percent, I believe that of the 19 people we were able to put in hotels, we saved some lives.”

One hundred percent, I believe that of the 19 people we were able to put in hotels, we saved some lives.

Regan praised the efforts of special projects manager Shannon Tracy and outreach specialist Stephane Ruault, who collaborated with partners from the St. Joseph’s House shelter, Duffy Health Center’s In From the Streets program, and the Belonging to Each Other program in Falmouth.

“They went above and beyond all weekend,” he said. “Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we had a procedure we could follow. For those without anywhere to go, we had solutions.”

The number of Housing Assistance’s outreach clients has increased significantly this year, said Ann Marie Peters, director of individual homeless services. “At a recent Emergency Winter Response meeting, several agencies reported similar increases,” she said. “There are waitlists for the shelter and the In From the Streets program, which has led other social service providers to step up and place individuals in hotels. Stephane and Shannon have done an excellent job working with our partners to ensure that the folks they encounter are placed.

Regan recalled that some days when he was getting ready to drive to work, it physically hurt to be outside because it was so cold. “Imagine trying to sleep through that,” he said. “We couldn’t take a chance. If there was anybody that we knew that was outside that weekend or the frigid days after that, we were going to get them inside and keep them inside until the conditions started to let up.”

When a blizzard hit the area in late February, the team put in another all-out effort. This lifesaving work reflects the value of unrestricted grants and donations from across our community, which can be used when immediate needs arise.

If you would like to support this kind of work, visit haconcapecod.org/ways-to-give