By James H. Burnett III
The South Middlesex Opportunity Council, a regional social service agency headquartered in Framingham, has decided to close a day center that has provided services for the homeless downtown since the fall of 2013.
The center was launched as a pilot program conceived by the nonprofit organization, town officials, the local Police Department, and the Salvation Army to give homeless adults a place to congregate indoors during daytime hours, when many overnight shelters are not open.
The center, housed in the Salvation Army’s former thrift store building, was created in response to complaints from downtown business owners and visitors about uncomfortable encounters with homeless adults loitering and milling about the sidewalks and parks during the day, according to Jerry Desilets, the director of planning for the regional agency known by its initials, SMOC.
The Coalition for Homeless Individuals 
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