"Running out of room": North Attleboro feeling impact of migrant housing program
NORTH ATTLEBORO - While the state pleads its case to federal agencies over the emergency shelter program for migrants, cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth are left to bear the brunt of the program that's reaching its limits.
On Monday, Governor Maura Healey announced the state was approaching capacity for its migrant housing program and would not be able to guarantee shelter for new migrants starting November 1.
During that press conference, Healey said roughly 23,000 migrants were being housed in 90 cities and towns throughout the state. North Attleboro is one of them.
"We are running out of room," said North Attleboro Town Manager Michael Borg. "There is no additional funding at the municipal level for this. The state has the money, they are contracting with the hotels, and none of that is passed through us. I think the state is coming to the realization that we had a couple of weeks ago that there was a finite number of what you could do without causing additional pressures."
Borg said the town had 35 families housed in a hotel off Route 1 and many of those living there were children who are now enlisted in the town's schools. The immediate costs associated with enrolling migrant children are passed to the district. "If it was short term that would be one thing," said Borg. "But this looks like it might be long term and that's an impact to local receipts."