The effort to stem homelessness in Plymouth took a major step forward this week with the news that a planned Housing Resource Center has received crucial state funding.
The center, operated by the regional nonprofit Father Bill’s & MainSpring, is set to be built at 41 Westerly Road, off Summer Street, on the site of the First Baptist Church. It will offer a day center with support programs and services, an overnight shelter with 30 beds, and 16 housing units for formerly homeless people.
The total cost is about $16 million, including the $800,000 purchase price for the church property. It’s being partially funded by $11.7 million in newly dispensed state money, and $50,000 from the town’s Affordable Housing Trust. The balance – about $5 million – will be raised by the nonprofit through a fundraising campaign.
Under the terms of an agreement, Father Bill’s & Mainspring will lease the church space back to First Baptist. The center will be located at the rear of the parcel. It’s a slightly smaller version of similar facilities the organization runs in Brockton and Quincy. Construction is expected to start next year and be completed in 2028.
In an interview, John Yazwinski, CEO and president of the Brockton-based organization, said the location, not far from downtown, is ideal.
“We really love the site because this church – along with others, has been a temporary shelter for the wintertime for a long time,” he said in an interview. “So we’re already there.”
As Plymouth has grown, its homeless population has also increased. The steep cost of housing, coupled with inflated prices for food, gas, insurance, and other necessities has pushed many people on the margins into crisis. Exacerbating the situation, those struggling with mental and physical health conditions and substance use often have a difficult time finding and keeping a job. These days, it’s not unusual to see homeless people clustered in the downtown area. Evidence of makeshift campsites can be found in wooded areas or under bridges throughout town.
The need for more comprehensive services is acute, Yazwinski said.
“Thirty-eight percent of the individuals coming to us have a physical disability,” he said. “Fifty-six percent have chronic health conditions. Thirty-four percent are survivors Mainspring of domestic violence. And we’re seeing an increase in senior women.”
Father Bill’s & has maintained a presence in Plymouth for two decades. Since 2015, the group has helped the volunteer-run Plymouth Taskforce to End Homelessness operate overnight shelters through a rotating roster of local churches during the coldest months. This past winter, the list included First Baptist, Christ Church, and the St. Mary’s parish center.
The organization has long sought to expand the scope of its local reach.
In fiscal year 2025, the nonprofit reported, the “Overnights of Hospitality” program in Plymouth served 90 people, a 67% increase over three years. The average number of nightly stays doubled in the last decade, according to the nonprofit.
Yazwinski spoke enthusiastically about the difference the resource center will make.
“Having a temporary nighttime shelter [in winter], you’re just managing homelessness,” he said. “You’re just giving a bed and a meal, which is great. But our model now is more of an integrated and innovative alternative.”
The center, he said, will offer three “core elements.”
“It will really focus on day services, like the meals, the showers, laundry, housing services, access to technology, healthcare, and daytime programming,” Yazwinski said. “We’ll be able to do AA and NA meetings. Our hope is that we’re really a broker of services – that we’re taking the resources that are in the Plymouth area and [creating] a place to welcome people who are struggling.”
The other main components are emergency shelter and longer-term housing.
Father Bill’s & Mainspring plans to run a shuttle service from several locations to increase access to the center. It will also construct a sidewalk from the site up Westerly Road to connect with Summer Street.
He said the town – including neighbors of the planned site – have been supportive.
Father Bill’s & Mainspring already maintains about 67 Plymouth apartments and group-setting units for the formerly unhoused. Overall, the organization manages more than 800 housing units in the region and has a budget of about $40 million. Over the next couple years, it plans to add another 150 units, including the 16 in Plymouth.
The state funding for the Housing Resource Center comes through its 2026 Supportive Housing Awards, which were announced Tuesday. In all, $44 million in grants will go to 11 projects, adding up to 401 housing units across Massachusetts.
Mark Pothier can be reached at mark@plymouthindependent.org.