NASHUA, NH – A small gathering of residents attended an informational community meeting on Monday night about the overnight winter warming station, which was held at Elm Street Middle School.
A warming station ran last year at the Unitarian Universalist Church (UU Church) from February 9 to April 30. This year the school building, which recently closed, will provide those overnight services.
Bobbie Bagley, director of public health and community services, explained where the funding is coming from for the warming station, and housing services officer LaTonya Muccioli – who will be overseeing the operation of the station – explained how the station will operate. Residents were then able to ask questions.
When and where will the warming station operate?
The warming station will operate daily 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. in the Elm Street Middle School cafeteria from December to April. The opening date has yet to be determined.
Those who use the warming station can use bathrooms that are right off of the cafeteria. They will not have access to the rest of the building.
A request for proposals (RFP) was put out for the utilization of a space for the warming station, but no proposals were made. After community members recommended using Elm Street Middle School following its recent closure, that option was explored and ultimately decided on.
What is the purpose of the station?
The purpose of the warming station is to prevent loss of life due to the winter elements by accommodating the overflow of people coming from other shelters. For example, the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter opens up 28 additional beds during the winter, but still have to turn people away when they are at capacity.
While the warming station is not a shelter and will not have cots or places for people to sleep, it will still give people a place to warm up and be protected from the winter elements. Coffee and refreshments will be offered.
Where is the funding coming from?
Tax dollars will not be used to fund the warming station. Instead, funding will come from the Opioid Abatement Trust Fund, as it did last winter.
The cost to run the warming station previously was around $90,000; $3,000 paid to the UU Church for heat and electricity, and about $87,000 for staffing. A little less than $3,000 was also paid to another church that offered day time services.
Opioid Abatement Trust Fund
Money in the trust fund comes from a lawsuit New Hampshire and more than 20 municipalities – including Nashua – made against various pharmaceutical companies for their role in the opioid epidemic. In 2021 it was announced that New Hampshire and the municipalities would enter a $21 billion settlement that requires the pharmaceutical companies to incrementally pay compensation across the span of 18 years.
When this money comes into the state, the state gets a portion, and the other portion is divided among the municipalities. The money is to be used to help those impacted by opioids through various measures, such as education, prevention, reimbursements, services and support.
Bagley explained that it also covers individuals with mental health and behavioral health disorders. Last year, 25 percent of the people who used the warming station had active substance use disorder, and 100 percent had behavioral and mental health disorders.
“We recognize sometimes individuals may become homeless because they’re using substances, but they also may be using [substances] because they’re homeless,” Muccioli said. “So we’re really trying to prevent any individuals that are unhoused from turning to substances by giving them a warm place to come in and connect to services, but we’re also trying to promote recovery for individuals that may be actively using by providing education and resources.”
Who can use the station?
The warming station is low barrier, meaning people do not have to be sober to utilize the station. However, substances and substance use will not be permitted on the site.
The warming station can be used by anyone 18 years old or older.
Last winter, the warming station at the UU Church saw about 25 to 30 people a night. It is estimated that about 70 unhoused people spend the night outside and the cafeteria at Elm Street Middle School is big enough to accommodate this number,
How will the station operate?
Individuals using the warming station will enter through doors at the back of the building, closest to the cafeteria. Bags and belongings are not allowed to be brought into the warming station and will be checked at the entrance with staff, and returned to their owners when they leave.
Upon entering, staff will take attendance and brief demographic surveys and track individuals with substance use disorder. The demographic surveys will also function as intake forms for those who want to be connected to services. Those who need health care will be connected to clinics, and anyone else in need of additional services will be referred to community health workers who can help them find jobs, housing, or other things they may need.
Two to three staff will be present at all times, working four, six and eight hour shifts. Staff will monitor behavior and be trained to use Narcan. Public health and Revive Recovery will be regularly monitoring the premises to make sure no paraphernalia is present, and staff will ensure there is no loitering.
Public health is also working with the Nashua Police Department who will stop by the station on their patrols and respond to any calls that may be made.
Last year, there were 19 instances where police were needed at the warming station, 15 times when responding to calls, and four times during patrols. Most instances were for routine calls, such as individuals needing to be trespassed and removed from the premises for disorderly behavior. There was no extreme violence, and few disturbances that needed mitigating.
Staff will escort individuals off the premises when it closes.
An RFP for staffing closed yesterday and will be reviewed in the coming days. Public health will prioritize staff with experience working in human services, mental health and substance use disorder.
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