All three Fall River State Reps voted against requiring Massachusetts residency to stay in emergency shelter system

All three Fall River State Reps voted against an amendment that would have restricted eligibility for the emergency shelter system to people whose cause of homelessness resulted within the commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

Representative Alan Silvia, Carole Fiola, and Steven Ouellette voted against the amendment that would have effectively restricted the emergency shelter system to people who became homeless while in Massachusetts, not in other states or countries. The amendment would have significantly slowed down the migration of homeless coming to Massachusetts for free hotels, food, transpiration and other benefits.

Due to a broad interpretation of the State’s ‘Right to Shelter’ law by Democrat leadership, the system is being taken advantage of by people coming to Massachusetts from other states and countries pushing the homeless count in Massachusetts form 14,000 in 2021 to 29,000 in 2024. Homelessness increased 54% in Massachusetts in 2024 and there are now more homeless people in Massachusetts than Texas, America second largest state by population.

All three Fall River State Reps did vote to approve Governor Healey’s request for $425 million Massachusetts emergency shelter funding that will cost taxpayers at least $3 billion by the summer of 2025.