Warming Center finds new home at American Legion Building on Broadway

By Barbara Taormina

REVERE – Public Health Director Lauren Buck was at this week’s city council meeting with some news about the city’s warming center.

The warming center, which provides temporary shelter to Revere’s homeless population during cold winter nights, has been somewhat controversial with many feeling the prior location in the senior center was inappropriate.

The original plan for this winter was to locate the center on Revere Street.

“Plans have changed, hopefully for the better,” Buck told councillors. The city now intends to run the warming center from Jan. 1, 2025 through March 31 at the American Legion at 249 Broadway.

Buck said relocating to the Legion will allow the center to increase capacity from 15 to 24 guests each night which she added was a great expansion of services. It will also allow the center to stay open for an extra week.

According to Buck, the Legion allows the center to operate on a single floor which cuts down the need for staff and it’s equipped with a bathroom and other necessities.

Buck said that Malden-based Housing Families, which has operated the warming center for the past two years will continue to manage the project. She said she had originally hoped to fund the center with money from Revere’s opioid settlement fund but decided against that because of the strict guidelines attached to that funding. Instead, the city has tapped a state grant for sheltering the homeless to pay for the cost of the center.

City councillors praised the decision to relocate the center. Ward 1 Councillor Joanne Mckenna said the Legion was a great location not near any residential areas.

“This is great news,” said Councillor-At-Large Marc Silvestri. “It’s a great partnership with the American Legion which will help with some upgrades in the building.”

Councillor-At-Large Juan Pablo Jaramillo asked about the future of the warming center.

“Hopefully, this will be a long-term solution,” said Buck.