By Tiffany Williams –
An $860,535 state grant will expand winter shelter capacity for 101 unhoused people in Worcester and Leominster, funding beds, meals and staff as the communities prepare to bring more people indoors during the coldest months of the year.
South Middlesex Opportunity Council is partnering with both cities to provide the additional shelter space from Dec. 1 through April 30, 2027. The expansion will use three SMOC-operated locations, including separate shelters serving men and women in Worcester and a former hotel in Leominster.
The funding comes from the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. Along with places to sleep, it will pay for daily meals, staffing and support services at each site.
In Worcester, the grant will fund 49 additional beds for unhoused men on the second floor of SMOC’s Queen Street shelter and 32 beds at its women’s shelter on Chandler Street. Together, those locations account for 81 of the 101 spaces.
In Leominster, SMOC will open 10 additional rooms at the former Days Inn on Main Street. Those rooms will accommodate 20 more people at the shelter the organization operates there.
The plan puts existing shelter properties at the center of the winter response. The funding will expand their capacity while supporting the staff and services needed to operate the additional space.
“As a longtime community partner of the cities of Worcester and Leominster, SMOC remains committed to helping unhoused individuals during the coldest months of the year,” said SMOC President and CEO Susan Gentili. “Our priority remains the same: to connect these individuals with the support services they need to obtain stable housing and independence. We are honored to be a part of this important community effort.”
That commitment extends beyond the immediate need for protection from the weather. SMOC’s stated goal is to connect people using the shelters with services that can help them secure stable housing and independence.
The distinction matters for a program with a fixed operating window. The additional winter capacity will run through April 30. The support services are intended to help people move toward housing stability beyond their time in shelter.
Worcester City Manager Eric D. Batista said the funding addresses both exposure to winter conditions and the need to connect residents with assistance.
“This funding is critical to helping ensure people are not outside in the elements during our cold winter nights,” Batista said. “Thank you to SMOC for its continued commitment to providing relief for the unhoused population and prioritizing their connection to services along with the EOHLC for ensuring that funding would enable expanded shelter capacity in Worcester through a community partner with demonstrated success.”
The grant covers several parts of that response at once. Beds and rooms provide overnight shelter. Meals address an immediate daily need. Staffing and support services provide the resources to assist people staying at the three locations.
Worcester is also reviewing a separate potential source of support for residents experiencing homelessness.
The city is evaluating applications submitted in response to its Request for Proposals for Opioid Settlement Funding, released Oct. 2, 2026. That funding is intended to increase supportive services for homeless populations and help further expand seasonal shelter if needed.
Those applications remain under review. The opioid settlement funding process is separate from the $860,535 state grant supporting SMOC’s announced expansion.
The two efforts address connected needs: increasing the number of people who can come indoors and strengthening the services available to them. Any further seasonal shelter expansion through the city’s application process remains a possibility, rather than an announced addition.
For now, the funded commitment is specific: 49 additional beds on Queen Street, 32 beds on Chandler Street and 20 additional spaces in Leominster. Beginning Dec. 1, those locations are scheduled to provide winter shelter for 101 people, with meals, staffing and services funded through the end of April.