Name: Building planned for emergency homeless shelter in winter sold overnight in Manchester
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Building planned for emergency homeless shelter in winter sold overnight in Manchester

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AdvertisementMayor Joyce Craig appalledBuilding planned for emergency homeless shelter in winter sold overnight in ManchesterMayor Joyce Craig appalledHide TranscriptShow TranscriptTHE MAN WHO PURCHASED THAT BUILDING - AND HOW HE SAYS HE HOPES TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. 77 PEARL STREET IN MANCHESTER - A BUILDING ADVERTISED FOR LEASE, WAS CLOSE TO BECOMING AN EMERGENCY HOMELESS SHELTER FOR THE WINTER. TUESDAY, ALDERMEN ALLOCATED ONE POINT ONE MILLION DOLLARS OF FEDERAL FUNDS TO SET UP AND STAFF THE FACILITY ... ONLY TO FIND OUT WEDNESDAY MORNING IT HAD BEEN SOLD TO SOMEONE ELSE OVERNIGHT.  IN A STATEMENT, MAYOR JOYCE CRAIG SAYS IT'S HER UNDERSTANDING THE BUYER WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THE BUILDING WOULD NOT ACT AS A HOMELESS SHELTER. BUT REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER BEN GAMACHE TELLS NEWSNINE THAT'S NOT THE CASE. HE SAYS HE OWNS THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES, AND BOUGHT THE BUILDING BECAUSE HE HAS A PLAN FOR IT AND THAT IT WASN'T UNTIL TUESDAY EVENING THAT HE LEARNED IT WAS FOR SALE. HE SAYS: "I KNOW THAT THERE IS A HOMELESS ISSUE IN MANCHESTER. I AM WORKING WITH FAMILIES IN TRANSITION TO DONATE 10,000 SQUARE FEET OF EMERGENCY SPACE FOR THE WINTER."  CITY OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A BUILDING FOR MONTHS AND WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THEY FIND A SPACE.  GAMACHE SAYS THE SPACE HE PLANS TO DONATE IS NOT FAR FROM THE PEARL STREET LOCATION. HE SAYS NOTHING HAS BEEN AGREED UPON YET, BUT THAT HE HOPES THIS CANAdvertisementBuilding planned for emergency homeless shelter in winter sold overnight in ManchesterMayor Joyce Craig appalledAfter Manchester Aldermen approved a plan for an emergency homeless shelter they found out the building they were looking at was sold overnight.&gt;&gt; Download the free WMUR appMayor Joyce Craig put out a statement and said she is appalled that this would happen the day before Thanksgiving, impacting people in the community who are in need.Manchester Fire Chief Dan Goonan confirmed it was 77 Pearl St. that he and Families in Transition-New Horizons visited on Tuesday while they were in talks with the owner to secure it as an emergency winter shelter. On Tuesday night, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen allocated $1.1 million in federal funds to establish and staff the facility. The city and the organization were notified Wednesday morning the building was sold overnight to a neighboring property owner. In a written statement, Mayor Joyce Craig, fire Chief Daniel Goonan and Families in Transition-New Horizons President Maria Devlin said the neighboring property owner wanted to ensure that no homeless people would be living in the building."We are appalled this happened the day before Thanksgiving, and at a time when people in our community are suffering and are in desperate need of emergency shelter," they said in the statement.“I guess money talks,” Goonan said. “Even when we’re dealing with people’s lives. It’s really sad. I’m really disappointed. The Aldermen worked really hard, we had a meeting last night. It was almost unanimous, we had one Alderman that was very angry, but the rest of them understood where we’re at. We are trying to figure it out again.”The city officials and their partners will continue to search for a location for an emergency shelter.Real estate developer Ben Gamache, who owns the surrounding properties and purchased that building, told WMUR he hopes to be part of the solution.Gamache claimed it was not until Tuesday evening that he learned it was for sale."I know that there is a homeless issue in Manchester," Gamache said in a statement. "I am working with Families in Transition to donate 10,000 square feet of emergency space for the winter."He said the space he plans to donate is not far from the Pearl Street location. He said nothing has been agreed upon yet, but that he hopes this can at least serve as a short-term fix.After Manchester Aldermen approved a plan for an emergency homeless shelter they found out the building they were looking at was sold overnight.&gt;&gt;AdvertisementMayor Joyce Craig put out a statement and said she is appalled that this would happen the day before Thanksgiving, impacting people in the community who are in need.Manchester Fire Chief Dan Goonan confirmed it was 77 Pearl St. that he and Families in Transition-New Horizons visited on Tuesday while they were in talks with the owner to secure it as an emergency winter shelter. On Tuesday night, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen allocated $1.1 million in federal funds to establish and staff the facility. The city and the organization were notified Wednesday morning the building was sold overnight to a neighboring property owner.In a written statement, Mayor Joyce Craig, fire Chief Daniel Goonan and Families in Transition-New Horizons President Maria Devlin said the neighboring property owner wanted to ensure that no homeless people would be living in the building."We are appalled this happened the day before Thanksgiving, and at a time when people in our community are suffering and are in desperate need of emergency shelter," they said in the statement.“I guess money talks,” Goonan said. “Even when we’re dealing with people’s lives. It’s really sad. I’m really disappointed. The Aldermen worked really hard, we had a meeting last night. It was almost unanimous, we had one Alderman that was very angry, but the rest of them understood where we’re at. We are trying to figure it out again.”The city officials and their partners will continue to search for a location for an emergency shelter.Real estate developer Ben Gamache, who owns the surrounding properties and purchased that building, told WMUR he hopes to be part of the solution.Gamache claimed it was not until Tuesday evening that he learned it was for sale."I know that there is a homeless issue in Manchester," Gamache said in a statement. "I am working with Families in Transition to donate 10,000 square feet of emergency space for the winter."He said the space he plans to donate is not far from the Pearl Street location. He said nothing has been agreed upon yet, but that he hopes this can at least serve as a short-term fix.Loading more articles...

AdvertisementMayor Joyce Craig appalledBuilding planned for emergency homeless shelter in winter sold overnight in ManchesterMayor Joyce Craig appalledHide TranscriptShow TranscriptTHE MAN WHO PURCHASED THAT BUILDING - AND HOW HE SAYS HE HOPES TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. 77 PEARL STREET IN MANCHESTER - A BUILDING ADVERTISED FOR LEASE, WAS CLOSE TO BECOMING AN EMERGENCY HOMELESS SHELTER FOR THE WINTER. TUESDAY, ALDERMEN ALLOCATED ONE POINT ONE MILLION DOLLARS OF FEDERAL FUNDS TO SET UP AND STAFF THE FACILITY ... ONLY TO FIND OUT WEDNESDAY MORNING IT HAD BEEN SOLD TO SOMEONE ELSE OVERNIGHT. ...

Building planned for emergency homeless shelter in winter sold overnight in Manchester

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