Healey says Massachusetts National Guard will deploy "soon" to help with migrant housing crisis
BOSTON - Governor Maura Healey is promising that 250 members of the Massachusetts National Guard will soon deploy to emergency shelter sites and hotels in 80 different communities that are currently housing migrant and other homeless families.
"I activated the National Guard, 250 guards people because I wanted to make sure that all of these sites where people are housed have someone there. And we, frankly, had run out of service providers," said Healey on Monday.
The Commonwealth has more than 6,000 families in emergency shelters, including pregnant mothers and children. Many have come to Massachusetts in recent months as migrants from countries such as Haiti.
"I am very focused on securing more funding from the Biden administration. I have made that specific request. Number two, I'm focused on work authorizations. All of these people want to work. We've got a workforce shortage in the state. We've got employers who are dying to get people to work," Healey said.
Healey said a lot of the migrants are coming by flight to Boston after they are greeted by advocates in states like Texas.