Holyoke’s unsheltered homeless count hits new record as threats to federal aid loom

Holyoke’s unsheltered homeless count hits new record as threats to federal aid loom

WITH A FRESH HEAP of snow sticking to the ground, Christy O’Brien and a team of volunteers bundle up and head to Hope for Holyoke, a substance abuse recovery and support center in the heart of the city’s downtown. Here, they start the night by approaching a handful of unhoused people camped outside. “We’re on a mission tonight,” O’Brien told CommonWealth Beacon in an interview. That mission is to ensure that anyone experiencing homelessness in t…