The recent ending of the federal Covid-19 public health emergency was among the topics addressed by the Somerville Public Health and Safety Commission at their April 4 meeting.

By Ana Celerier

The Public Health and Safety Commission of Somerville met on Tuesday, April 4, to discuss the ending of the federal Covid-19 public health emergency, updates on the efforts to provide shelter to unhoused individuals during the harsh winter months, and discuss record keeping with the Somerville Fire Department.

The ending of the federal Covid-19 public health emergency status has impacted many nationwide. In many cases, it has removed covid era restrictions entirely and ended the national emergency support. The Public Health and Safety Commission discussed the impact this would have on the city’s residents regarding access to testing, vaccines, and other covid support resources.

During the meeting, the Commission also spoke with the Director of Health and Human Services to receive an update on the efforts to provide warming centers for unhoused individuals during the recent cold spell. Last year the Somerville Homeless Coalition served an estimated 7,000 individuals. Members of the leadership team, Michael Libby and Hannah O’Halloran, said at a presentation two months ago that the organization focuses on getting unhoused individuals long-term needs through their programs.

They help these individuals transition into new homes and help support them through rebuilding their life. Libby and O’Halloran also commented on the warming centers stating that volunteers are critical to making warming centers become a reality because without them there is a lack of staffing resources due to being spread out throughout the different programs offered.

The last discussion point on the agenda was the discussion of record keeping for the Somerville Fire Department in coordination with the director of housing stability. The council discussed with them collaboratively the feasibility of conducting annual reporting on the following matters; the number of fires, the causes of those fires, the numbers displaced by each fire, and if those displaced were able to relocate within Somerville or not.