Women's Shelter to Stay Open

Despite a memorandum last month hastening the seasonal closing of armory shelters across the state, a Cambridge women's shelter did not close its doors yesterday, according to a spokesperson for the state's Executive Office of Human Services.

Spokesperson Jeff Grossman said earlier this week that the Cambridge Armory shelter on Concord Ave., one of 72 shelters in the state owned by the state division of the National Guard, will remain open until its regular closing date in May.

Earlier this month, the adjutant general of the National Guard, Wayne F. Wagner, issued an order saying that budget cuts made necessary the closing of armory shelters, including the one on Concord Ave., on March 1.

"This is the beginning of many actions that will have to be taken in order for the Military Division to survive in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, since our state budget has developed into a crisis situation, without any help being visualized in the near future," Wagner said in the order.

But Grossman said Monday that the National Guard did not intend to close the Cambridge Armory or other shelters, calling the order "a miscommunication." He said Wagner issued the memorandum without consulting Secretary of Public Safety Charles V. Barry, who oversees the shelters.

"General Wagner [released the memorandum] without checking with Secretary Barry," Grossman said.

In the order, Wagner wrote, "All non-military use permits and agreements will be cancelled. This includes, but is not limited to: unit functions, unit administrative nights, all-night schools, homeless and all sporting events, bingo, drum and bugle corps, elderly, registry or any other type of social or civic activity."

While the National Guard may still close armories used for recreational purposes, it will not clamp down on the shelters, Grossman said.

Cambridge Armory Director James Stewart said he was first told Monday morning that the shelter would not be closed.

The facility provides up to 40 beds and two meals daily for homeless women, although an average of 23 beds are used nightly, said Susan Durkee, who is Stewart's assistant.

Stewart said he was pleased by the policy flipflop.

"It looks like your story will have a happy ending," Stewart said.