A recent article from Boston.com conveyed a startling statistic: ‘One in three households in Massachusetts has uncertainty surrounding their forthcoming meal.’ The source of this data is a report that comes from the Greater Boston Food Bank, underscoring a deep-seated issue of hunger that remains unresolved, all while apprehensions concerning financial stability continue to escalate in the state.
Accepting the discoveries made by the Greater Boston Food Bank, it becomes concerning to note that the current Massachusetts government, under Governor Maura Healey, continues to significantly invest public funds into solving an emergent crisis through a continually expanding shelter system.
But who are these shelters serving? It’s not exclusive to long-standing residents of the state. In fact, a considerable number of immigrants, some of whom may be undocumented, rely on the shelter system for necessary support.
Estimates suggest the weekly cost for someone dependent on this state supported (shelter) program is approximately $1,000. This expense is being shouldered by the taxpayers of Massachusetts, a burdeon that is progressively growing in size.
Indeed, current forecasts estimate taxpayer’s funds spent towards the state’s emergency shelter program could reach a staggering $1 billion for the forthcoming fiscal year of 2025. It’s interesting to note that migrant families form a significant percentage of those who are benefiting from this assistance.
Spending from the Healey Administration on this program during the current fiscal year, which concludes on June 30th, is already at an exorbitant $830 million. Projections show these costs could ascend to $1 billion before the fiscal year concludes.
A significant allocation of more than $570 million has been directed towards fulfilling the direct costs associated with the provision of shelter. An additional $149 million has been devoted to other related services that include, but aren’t limited to, ‘Home Base, National Guard, and so on.’
The Healey Administration has been diverting more migrants away from emergency shelters and into the Home Base program. This scheme offers a rent-free apartment for a duration of up to two years to those in need.
The state’s Executive Office for Housing and Livable Communities provided some inside perspective. ‘Approximately 90% of eligible applications for the emergency assistance shelter are rooted from ‘Massachusetts residents.’ This terminology could be extended to include immigrants, thereby qualifying them for inclusion in the shelter program.
In some quarters, estimates suggest that expenditure towards providing housing for migrant communities since 2023 have added up to a total of around $2 billion within Massachusetts.
The post One in Three MA Households Face Meal Uncertainty: GBFB appeared first on Real News Now.
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