WORCESTER—An order requesting a report on “the situation at the Worcester Public Library regarding the homeless population” prompted the most discussion among the public and councilors at Tuesday night’s Worcester City Council meeting.
Councilor At-Large Donna Colorio put the order on the agenda, saying Tuesday that she’s trying to figure out where the funding is coming from for the security guard and social worker who work at the library, and for other programs that are catered to the unhoused population.
The councilor noted that some have raised concerns about limited seating availability upon arriving at the main branch. She expressed the need for a report to assess whether additional space is necessary to accommodate people at the library or if the observed congestion was specific to a busy period.
Unhoused people in the city frequent the Main Branch of the Worcester Public Library as it is one of the few indoor public spaces in the city where they can spend their time during the day at no cost.
Speakers during the public comment portion of the evening said the library has been a great resource for the unhoused population, with one speaker calling for the city to have more warming and cooling centers available to the population.
One speaker, who said she experienced homelessness herself, questioned why Colorio asked for the report and was asked to leave the council chambers after directing an expletive at the councilor.
Councilor At-Large Khrystian King, who said he led the efforts to get a social worker at the library, asked City Manager Eric Batista to explain what is happening with the unhoused population.
Batista said that while there are unhoused individuals who use the library, there are also people with substance abuse or mental health issues who are housed and use the library and that the “library is welcoming patrons of all different situations of life.”
The city manager said that in addition to the social worker and security guard, the library has asked for a security guard and they currently have a temporary part-time worker in the role.
“I have a great relationship with the (library) board and we’re having conversations about their needs and challenges they experience…and we try to do everything we can to address those needs,” Batista said.
King also asked who the social worker who works in the library reports to, and according to Batista, they report to the library director.
During her first meeting as District 1 Councilor, Jenny Pacillo thanked Colorio for highlighting such a “critical and important issue facing our city today.”
She said she and her kids use the library and she has always felt comfortable there, but recognizes other patrons or employees could feel differently.
“I just think this motion is a really great opportunity to address the needs of the library community and that includes staff, patrons, and unhoused (individuals) who use the space,” Pacillo said.
District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj reminded people in attendance and her fellow councilors that homelessness can lead to the loss of human dignity and even people’s lives and asked that the item be discussed in the Education subcommittee. Haxhiaj chairs the committee.
In addition to sending the item to the Education subcommittee, the item was sent to the city manager’s office for the creation of the report.
Kiernan Dunlop is an award-winning journalist who has spent the past five years reporting in Worcester, New Bedford and Antigua and Barbuda. She’s been published in Bloomberg, USA Today, Canary Media, MassLive, and the New Bedford Standard Times, among other outlets. She can be contacted at kdunlop@theworcesterguardian.org
