A parish in Nonantum will be housing families through May, the statement said.
A church in Newton has been serving as a safety-net overflow family shelter since November, the mayor confirmed Tuesday.
The location of the shelter on Washington Street in Nonantum for migrants and homeless families was disclosed to dispel rumors of violence, according to a joint statement from the Catholic Charities and Our Lady Help of Christians Parish released by Mayor Ruthanne Fuller.
The pastor of the church endorsed the announcement in a separate statement and said that “numerous questions have arisen about the shelter.”
The parish is providing temporary shelter for up to 30 families at a time through May, the mayor said. The shelter previously served as a women and children’s shelter for decades but has been empty due to “programming changes,” according to the statement.
The site is staffed at all hours of the day with security, and the children at the shelter are not enrolled in Newton Public Schools. Children there range from 10 months to 8 years old, the statement said.