Massachusetts authorities are looking ahead to an impactful shift in how they handle the state’s migrant crisis. They’ve revealed plans to shutter all state-emergency housing units in hotels and motels in the coming summer months, according to Governor Maura Healey’s statement on Monday. She had initially pushed for the hotel shelters to be eliminated by the end of 2025, however, progress is ahead of the curve, with this new timeframe being six months earlier.
Up for closure this summer are the remaining state-managed shelters operating within hotels throughout the Bay State. Specifically, two shelter sites—Norfolk Rapid Shelter at the former Bay State Correctional Center and the Revere CSR site at the Revere Quality Inn—are due to close on account of the shrinking caseload. Also poised for change is the Lowell Inn and Conference Center, which is set to shift from a Bridge Track shelter to a Rapid Track shelter and CSR site in July.
A recently published report reveals that as of the conclusion of April, there are 32 hotel shelters still active across Massachusetts. This is a significant reduction from a peak of 100 facilities during the summer of 2023, marking a 68% drop, pointed out by Governor Healey. Additionally, she noted that the overall number of families taking refuge in these shelters has now fallen under 5,000, a record low since July 2023.
Healey further predicts a continued decline, projecting the figure to drop under the 4,000 mark over the forthcoming summer. Her government inherited a challenging situation where homeless families were scattered across hotel shelters throughout the state. Emphasizing that hotels aren’t conducive to raising a family and that they represent the least cost-effective option, Healey stressed the need for reform—the main aim being to reduce both caseloads and the cost of the shelter system.
The intent of these reforms was not just about economic efficiency; it was also about improving the circumstances for these families. Ensuring they transition from shelter living to more permanent housing was the focus of the efforts. Another critical aspect was job creation and facilitating transitions into employment for those affected individuals. Impressive progress is evident, as more families are now moving into stable housing situations and securing employment.
Roughly two years ago, Governor Healey declared a state of emergency, imposing a cap on the system at 7,500 families in 2023. The recent falls in family numbers in the state’s Emergency Assistance family shelter system are a testimony to the effectiveness of the reforms that Healey’s administration implemented. Constituents of these reforms included a stay limit of six months, provision of job training and placement assistance for inhabitants, and enhanced case management to aid families in obtaining steady accommodation.
Additional restrictions were put in place in January when Healey declared that eligibility for Massachusetts emergency shelters would henceforth require confirmed legal status in the U.S. and clearance of a criminal background check. This requirement was one of many amendments Healey pushed to the state’s Right to Shelter law. As a result, meaningful changes were made in the state’s approach to managing the migrant crisis.
The changes followed the arrest in December of a Dominican national living at a state-run emergency family shelter in Revere. The individual was found with an assault rifle and five kilograms of suspected fentanyl at the shelter. In response, Governor Healey ordered for an immediate check of all state-run emergency family shelters on Jan. 6.
Over the past three years, the influx of families from various states and nations into Massachusetts in search of shelter has dramatically increased. The state had repurposed hotels and motels to comfortably accommodate these migrants and homeless families. For instance, in 2023, new shelter sites were created like the migrant shelter and resource center on the Eastern Nazarene College campus in Quincy, and a military base in Cape Cod was converted into a shelter site.
The crisis had its roots in 2014 when approximately 1,500 families were given shelter in hotels across the state. However, the requests for shelter began to dramatically increase by 2022. According to a statement by Healey, this was due to a mix of a housing crisis, ineffective federal immigration policy, and a lack of controls to limit the expansion of the shelter system.
Upon taking office in 2023, the Healey-Driscoll administration encountered dual challenges of an unprecedented spike in families seeking emergency shelters and an impaired shelter system ill-prepared for such an influx. Healey mentions in her statement that she introduced a series of reforms to reduce the caseload, slash taxpayer expense, and enhance safety in response to the unprecedented challenges.
In light of the shifting situation, state officials have announced novel requirements for migrants in March 2024. Also, the Emergency Assistance program, which caters to homeless families with children or expecting mothers, operated maximally for several months owing to the substantial migration influx. It wasn’t an uncommon sight to spot scores of migrants settling for the night inside Logan International Airport.
Lastly, there’s an acknowledgement of the tireless effort contributed by the frontline teams in managing this crisis. Secretary Ed Augustus of the Housing and Livable Communities department praised their crucial role in swiftly escalating services to cater to an unparalleled surge in demand. There’s also recognition for the various communities and partners who rallied together to support families throughout this crisis.
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