HISTORY OF THE HYANNIS SHELTER ON WINTER ST.

In the beginning, it is our understanding that the Town of Barnstable asked Rick Presbrey, much beloved Executive Director of Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC), to provide a shelter for those individuals who were without homes in Hyannis.

Over time, and likely because of state funding requirements, the shelter on Winter St. — then called NOAH, now called St. Joseph’s — had to take anyone from anywhere. There became no restrictions on who came in, and no restriction if the person was not from Barnstable or Hyannis. This has literally created an international draw of Neighbors In Need for whom we have no background, deeply impacting resources in Hyannis for our residents. See the tab Harmful Policies — Cost of Institutional Sheltering.

In 2016, operations shifted to Catholic Charities, who essentially continued the same operations that had been in place, which prohibited any talk of religion.