Massachusetts expected to hit emergency shelter cap of 7,500 people by the weekend
BOSTON - Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey expects the state to reach its cap on emergency shelters this weekend, sending homeless advocates into a panic.
"Nobody wants for this situation," Healey said from the Statehouse on Thursday. "We've reached capacity when it comes to shelter space, service provider availability and funding."
A superior court judge sided with Healey, allowing the state to limit shelter for the homeless to 7,500 people.
There are 96 shelter beds left before hitting that cap, according to a state dashboard. Roughly half of those in the shelter system now are migrant families in Massachusetts under the state's "Right to Shelter" law.
"Some hotels were really, really good. Some others struggled," state Sen. John Velis told WBZ TV.
Velis was one of the 250 National Guard members stationed at so-called "migrant motels" across the state. He said the system isn't helping migrant families become self-sufficient. It's putting a strain on the shelter system, he said, and it's costing the state millions of dollars.
"Every single hotel that I went to, it was 20 plus. I made a point of meeting with the residents that were there. And I asked them all 'what's of most importance to you,'" Velis explained. "And without a doubt, every single of them...said 'we want to work.'"
The state expects to reach the shelter cap this weekend and organizations like La Colaborativa in Chelsea are panicking.
"What else are we expected to do with these families? It's just looking them in the eye and saying you have to be on a waitlist," Donna Mitria of La Colaborativa said. "Tonight, you have nowhere to go. We don't know where to send you."
From migrant families to Massachusetts residents facing eviction. Healey said the waitlist to get into an emergency shelter will prioritize those who need it most.
"We have to prioritize health needs, acute medical needs and the like, the age of children," she explained. "We've also said that we are prepared to considering exiting and timelines for those in shelter."
While there's no easy fix, one lawmaker believes funneling money into migrant hotels isn't the answer either.
"We in Massachusetts probably should create some type of a pathway to work – a state pathway to work and if the federal government doesn't like it, let them sue us," Sen. Velis suggested.