TAUNTON, Mass. (WLNE) — A Taunton hotel continues to house migrants as voters indicate it’s a top issue their considering as they head to the polls to vote for president. The state has been using the Clarion Hotel as part of its shelter program. The hotel has housed more than 100 families for over a year as they wait for court hearings to officially become citizens. “Our compassion has to fit into the resources that we have available,” Taunton City Councilor Barry Sanders said. Sanders said the decision by the state to use the hotel came as a “surprise.” “It certainly would have been nice to have some advanced planning for a large group of refugees coming into our community,” he said. The Department of Housing and Community Development at the time said, in part, “We need all communities to play a role in helping to meet our state’s housing needs.” Taunton Mayor Shauna O’Connell said that the deal is a private agreement between the hotel and the state… That’s a concern City Councilor Kelly Dooner, who is running for state senate, characterized the deal as a “concern” ahead of the election. “The commonwealth spent $8 million dollars just on the transportation out of that hotel,” she said. “It’s a billion dollars to house them across the state, $64 per day per person for food. Our resources are being stretched thin… We’re on the verge of bankrupting the state of Massachusetts.” O’Connell added, however, that the shelter is not using city tax money… Some asylum seekers from Haiti who used to live at the hotel said that even though they are grateful for the opportunity to live a better life, they experienced challenges, including issues with managers not helping to get people staying in the shelter transportation, including to hospitals. The state has the ability to renew the contract with the hotel annually for up to nine years, while many migrants have court dates in the coming months to determine if they can stay in the country. Categories: Massachusetts, News