Taunton sues Clarion Hotel for overcapacity migrant housing
TAUNTON, Mass. — The city of Taunton filed a lawsuit against the owners of the only hotel in the city, which is now home for an estimated 400 migrants.
The hotel is accused of operating over capacity since it began housing migrant families for the state of Massachusetts.
Mayor Shauna O'Connell said the city is seeking $114,600 from the owner of the Clarion Hotel for housing more migrant families than it can hold.
The city of Taunton filed a lawsuit against the owners of the only hotel in the city, which is now home for an estimated 400 migrants.
A lawsuit filed by the city accused the Clarion Hotel of violating it's occupancy permit over a nearly four month span, and its looking to collect $114,600 in fines that city leaders said the hotel has yet to pay.
"This for us is a safety issue, we have a building code, there's an occupancy permit they were in violation of," said City Councilor, Kelly Dooner.
Mayor Shauna O'Connell said in a statement to NBC 10, that just about a year ago, the city of Taunton was informed that 18 families were being housed at the hotel, and not long after, the entire hotel was occupied by more than a hundred families.
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"Last I heard it was in the mid 400s, and initially their occupancy permit was for 350 or 360," said Dooner.
The mayor stated they later discovered that the hotel signed a contract with the state to utilize the building as an emergency shelter for upwards of 9 years, without giving the city any notice.
"No one else can get a room at the hotel," said one Taunton resident.
The hotel is housing migrants under the state's "Right to Shelter Law" which legally requires the state to provide shelter to eligible families through its emergency assistance program.
O'Connell stated that the influx has greatly impacted residents. The loss of the only hotel in the city has affected business travel to the area, there's been an increase in emergency calls, and schools are working to accommodate the rising number of students.
See more at: https://turnto10.com/news/local/taunton-sues-clarion-hotel-for-overcapacity-migrant-housing-southern-new-england-rhode-island-massachusetts-march-21-2024
