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Families May Start Losing Shelter Coverage in Massachusetts On Sept. 1
By Sam Drysdale
Families may start getting kicked out of the state’s emergency shelter system on Sept. 1, and providers who thought families had until next spring are feeling blindsided.
Lawmakers and Gov. Maura Healey passed a law in April limiting how long families can stay in the emergency shelter system for the first time since the program’s creation. The limits were approved while leaving the state’s right to shelter law in place.
The number of families looking to live in state-funded shelters has more than doubled over the last year and a half. With a cap imposed by Gov. Maura Healey still in place, more than 750 families are on a waitlist to gain entry into those shelters.
Trying to rein in exploding shelter costs, Senate and House negotiators agreed in April to set a nine-month limit for how long families can stay in the state’s emergency shelters, with the option for families to seek up to two 90-day extensions if they are employed, participating in an approved training program, or meet one of a slew of other protected criteria.
Legislators wrote that this section of the law would take effect on June 1, and many homelessness service providers assumed families would start hitting their nine-month limit next spring.
But the branch of Healey’s administration responsible for writing the regulations required under the law are telling providers that families could be getting notice in the mail as early as next week that they will have to leave by Sept. 1 — applying the nine-month limit retroactively from June 1 to the start of 2024.
“We’ve heard [The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities] and the administration say that the average length of stay is 14 to 16 months. So we’re anticipating that thousands of families will be subjected to early termination based on this policy if they’re not granted extensions,” said Kelly Turley of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless.
The state’s most recent report on emergency family shelter said families stay an average 365 days in shelters, though previous estimates have put the average length of stay between 12 and 18 months.
Not all families whose length of stay is at or beyond nine months will be affected immediately, an EOHLC official said, though they did not say how the office will choose which families will be asked to leave first.
“There’s thousands of people,” said Andrea Park of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, who along with Turley is in touch with providers across the state. “Who’s going to go first? Someone who’s been there for a year, 13 months, nine months? How will they prioritize people who could potentially get notices on Sept. 1?”
The law instituting shelter limits also explicitly states that no more than 150 families shall be terminated from the program in a single week, to avoid a situation where thousands of families are turned out of shelter at once. Still, many families could now be bracing to be removed from shelter much sooner than expected with uncertainty around who will be asked to leave and when.
Turley and Park said they believe the limit going into effect on Sept. 1 was not the legislative intent of the law, which does not specify if the policy is retroactive or not.
The News Service asked Sen. Michael Rodrigues, the Senate’s lead negotiator on the supplemental budget, whether he intended the limit to be applied retroactively.
“I don’t remember,” Rodrigues replied.
If senators wanted to clarify their intent to give families a full nine months from when they receive notice of termination to when they’re removed, the lawmakers had their opportunity this week.
Sen. Pavel Payano of Lawrence filed an amendment to the Senate’s fiscal year 2025 budget — which is being debated this week — to explicitly state that EOHLC should not consider emergency assistance shelter benefits received prior to June 1 in counting towards the nine month limit.
“The adjustment is especially important for large families, individuals with disabilities, and long-term residents facing eviction,” Payano said. “Given that the supplemental budget now offers critical services such as job training, legal assistance, and housing support, it is imperative that these families have sufficient time to access and benefit from these resources. This amendment ensures they are afforded a fair opportunity to stabilize their lives without the looming threat of losing their shelter.”
Sens. Paul Mark, Adam Gomez, Liz Miranda, Jamie Eldridge, Pat Jehlen, Lydia Edwards and Robyn Kennedy all sponsored the amendment, but it was withdrawn without debate.
Asked about the amendment and if lawmakers meant for families to have until next spring in shelters, Senate President Karen Spilka replied, “We will talk to providers and the administration to follow up with that more.”
A spokesperson for Spilka then followed up, saying it was the branch’s “understanding that the administration is implementing the provisions of the supplemental budget as they were intended when they were approved by the Legislature.”
The House had a similar response when asked Wednesday.
“The intention behind the legislation was to provide the administration with the flexibility necessary to manage the crisis appropriately, while also ensuring that folks in the shelter system have access to the resources that they need in order to eventually exit the system, and to successfully enter the workforce,” House Speaker Ron Mariano and House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz said in a statement.
Michlewitz previously said the new shelter policies are intended to make sure people have enough time to use new resources made available in the bill, such as workforce training, English language teaching services and assistance with rehousing, before they face the nine-month deadline.
“I think it’s something that we’re certainly concerned about, making sure that people have enough time to get the workforce visas, to be able to get their life in a situation where they can get out of the system,” Michlewitz told reporters in April. “But we want to make sure that we have pieces that are in there, that moves it, keeps moving it along in a positive manner as quickly as possible.”
He later added during that scrum in April, “We may be in a completely different place nine months from now, so we have to continue to evaluate and make decisions based off of what’s in front of us.”
Park and Turley said they are hearing from providers that they are staffing up for the administrative effort of processing waivers and renewals, and helping families who don’t speak English understand what will happen if they get a notice that they have to leave this fall.
“Those are resources that should be going to housing search and helping people safely find housing,” Park said. “Hospitals, providers, everybody understood this was a policy that was going to be implemented in a way that gave us time to scale up immigration support services, clinics, job partnering — these things are actually starting to pay off — but now we’re going to put people out before they’re ready and local cities and towns and nonprofits are going to bear the brunt of that.”
Recent investments in rehousing benefits and shelter supports have yielded a steady uptick in the rate at which families are exiting the emergency shelter system, according to EOHLC.
Over the last five months, 1,208 families have exited shelter: 197 in December, 209 in January, 230 in February, 269 in March and 303 in April, as expanded housing and job placement services have been funded by the state
“Given the lack of deeply affordable housing, low vacancy rates and other barriers that families are facing, including newly arrived immigrant families who are just getting on their feet here in Massachusetts, we do expect that thousands of families will be negatively impacted. A time limit that’s so short is going to set families up for failure,” Turley said.
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MortisMaximus
May 24, 2024 at 2:20 am
Bravo Massachusetts Politicians!
Guda Gem
May 24, 2024 at 5:22 pm
The shelter system is going to become a revolving door, and this is not going to solve the homelessness problem; our government must stop allowing people to come into the state knowing they have no housing options for them. This is inhumane!
Geovonni Hernandez
May 24, 2024 at 3:07 am
Smok housing shelter in Worcester needs to be shut down. Also Worcester has thousands of people that are homeless, these people passing bills need to pass one that lowers overall cost of living. And it needs to be immediately. And this immigration thing is a bad idea
Hawk
May 24, 2024 at 3:26 am
That’s what happens when you vote to be a sanctuary state but have no plan to support it! They have drained the resources of the state to near zero yet they keep coming and the state keeps giving at the expense of the taxpayers opening closed prisons, vacant buildings, million dollar no bid contracts to feed them,cloth them and provide medical care. Let’s see how long it is until taxes are raised to keep supporting this..
Karin Bulger
May 24, 2024 at 8:10 am
Right on !!!
Fed up
May 24, 2024 at 8:50 am
Enough is enough. When long time residents fall on hard luck they are turned away, yet we keep giving and giving . They have had a free comfortable ride for 9+ months while my neighbor who lost house and worked two jobs trying to keep up with the states spending is homeless. No room at the inn ffor him. Get a job they say. Many of us are working two jobs while the immigrants frequent our places of employment dresses to the nines and purchasing whatever they want without a care in the world. When did “we the people” get the opportunity to vote on this? I’m all for helping, but they need to help themselves
Guda Gem
May 24, 2024 at 5:25 pm
It isn’t right!
Guda Gem
May 24, 2024 at 5:31 pm
I know a young lady who is homeless, fortunately she has a job. She went to DTA to seek assistance due to DV and was told they could not help her because she made too much money to be considered for any type of shelter, but do not make enough to afford the rent in Massachusetts.
J. Cardoza
May 24, 2024 at 6:13 am
Smoke and mirrors
Fed Up
May 24, 2024 at 7:52 am
Exactly. Sounds like they’re doing something but when push comes to shove we’ll see
P
May 24, 2024 at 7:27 am
Is it shelters or hotels that were turned into shelters then closed to reopen for migrants? Concord, MA? Or is this shelters for people who are massachusetts residents seeking shelter from falling on hard times? Are the flights being redirected away from worcester at 1am?
Karin Bulger
May 24, 2024 at 8:09 am
I wish that their concern would extend to the citizens of MA. And what about all of the people waiting ? While they are making sure that migrants in shelters are in a perfect position to leave, what happens to the ones that are waiting ? The migrants in Kingston have been there for a minimum of two years, isn’t it time for them to sink or swim ?
Thomas C Kasprzak
May 24, 2024 at 8:48 am
Now, more than ever our state will need a “squatting law” on the books to make it a criminal offense to occupy any residence. Immediate eviction and if any damage or theft, sale of belongings occurs they would be liable financially for replacement or reimbursement. Where do you think these people who aren’t even supposed to be in this country are going to go? Get moving on this Healy. You created this mess and costing taxpayers dearly. This money should be spent on homeless veterans and our own citizen’s quality of life.
RedPilled
May 24, 2024 at 9:04 am
Barack Warren has volunteered to take in some of the illegals. As we all know Barack is full of compassion for these folks who crossed our border illegally.
Eva
May 24, 2024 at 9:21 am
This is what happens when we have a housing crisis. Stop allowing LLC groups to snatch up houses at cheap prices and then inflate those prices for resale. Flippers should be limited to 1 house a year. Time reign in corporate owned retail units too, when rents are as much or more than mortgages how do expect people to live? Its all a greed game.
Rick
May 24, 2024 at 12:35 pm
Housing in our state is the highest in the country. That’s why people are fleeing to red states. It’s not corporate greed. It’s ignorant voter’s such as yourself.
Todd smith
May 24, 2024 at 9:28 am
Let’s keep the homeless illegals flooding in, nothing like destroying America, thanks Bidumb!!
JB
May 24, 2024 at 9:34 am
I took an elderly family member down to Housing to see if she could get into senior living or ? She has worked her whole life at close to minimum wage, but at least she has worked. There were a dozen young mothers who looked Hispanic waiting in housing and they told me my family member would have to go on a list which was at the time 6 years before consideration. She was low priority I was told because you can’t put children out on the street but if I would move her out of her current apartment which she could barely afford then she would become homeless and get a higher priority. The system is sick, I understand not putting children on the street but how about our own who have worked and are citizens?
Yvonne
May 24, 2024 at 9:57 am
That make no sense at all. In Umass Lowell, MA, there are so many many immigrants living comfortably but you guys are trying to kick out the citizens? If so, give each family $150k to start a new life and provide job for each family. It makes me sick to see the Americans are being homeless but the immigrants are sleeping and fed well.
Guda Gem
May 24, 2024 at 5:23 pm
Agree!
Rick
May 24, 2024 at 12:38 pm
Voting stupid has consequences.
Rene Pinault
May 24, 2024 at 12:53 pm
We shouldn’t be a sanctuary state. We need to take care of our own. I hope Healy sees this. Shes responsible for this s*** show.
Jamesurohy
May 24, 2024 at 1:05 pm
The taxpayers should have the last word but liberal Massachusetts, bring inore immigrants, spoil the people.why the hell not stop welfare and immigrants coming into our country or take what it costs the hard working middle class to support all you politicians and corrupt lawyers to make this country totally dependent upon the system healy and Biden should be. Impeached, for bring all of these.ptobkems into this country get tough America stop the e liberal movement in our country, stop legal aid, bring back free enterprise. Stop giving away the hard working taxpayers monies.
Ryan T
May 24, 2024 at 2:04 pm
We shold not be helping migrants or illegal now they will be on food stamps get sec8 free houseing! spend money on are homeless Americans
David Cartier
May 25, 2024 at 12:53 am
They are all used to living in mud huts, caves and tree houses, back in Mexico and Central America. We should make them feel at home with the same accommodations here.
Dr. David
May 24, 2024 at 2:08 pm
Mr. Maura Healy is in a tough spot …. she/he has to appear like she/he is doing something about the ‘migrant crises’
(all these migrants who came to work in the fields have no shelter after they put in their 14 hour work day picking our Massachusetts crops)
but if Maura wants to be the first Lesbian Attorney general of the USA when the Obama/Biden Junta ballot harvests another election she has appease the “newcomers” and continue to give them full concierge = tax payer funded service
Mark F.
May 24, 2024 at 3:20 pm
How about 1. Bring back rent control.
2. Build low income housing , this problem won’t go away for a long time. 3. Stop giving raises to politicians until inflation is back to 0 then maybe when they feel our pain they will react accordingly.
MortisMaximus
May 24, 2024 at 3:28 pm
$200 billion to Ukraine. Quadrillions in derivatives and debt Monetization. What is the question?
https://rumble.com/v1us7fs-don-jon-corzine-spills-his-guts-to-alex-jones-infowars-nightly-news.html
Patricia Coughlin
May 24, 2024 at 7:28 pm
Yet this Commonwealth does nothing for domestic abuse survivors or victims
Mary travis
May 24, 2024 at 10:06 pm
If one purchases an item just because it is cheap and that item keeps breaking whose fault is it. It is the buyer.
No difference in continously voting Democrat, you get what you voted for.
David Cartier
May 25, 2024 at 12:45 am
Our own vets, elderly and disabled must come first, with no eligibility for shelter for non-state residents. Packing the lifeboat with riffraff will just sink the lifeboat!
FigureItOut
May 25, 2024 at 10:15 am
There’s a bunch of racist comments here under the guise of patriotism. Reevaluate your lives and privileges.
HuntersCrackPipe
May 25, 2024 at 2:36 pm
Move migrants into your tent you big dummy.
Ian shaw
May 25, 2024 at 4:19 pm
Is for only the American families or does this apply to the thousands and thousands of illegal Haitians and other but mostly non English large families of non American not legal families I ask as I am one of the American legal people and most likely be kicked to the street by these new rules
Stacey Hall
May 25, 2024 at 8:24 pm
I have been homeless living in a hotel since October 2023 that I am paying out of my own pocket for. My family doesn’t qualify for a state ran shelter because we make over 2,000$/ month. The rent for a 2 bedroom apartments is 2000/ month and they want you to make 3 times the amount of the rent to qualify for an apartment. I have worked my whole life only to be homeless at age 50. I have 2 degrees in business working on a 3 degree in order to make some real money. The Commonwealth has done nothing for those of us who aren’t immigrants to ensure we have affordable housing.
Mona
May 27, 2024 at 11:31 am
MA is a joke. Left here 47 years ago to go to college. Never should have returned. I have worked hard all my life for what I have, voted in every election and paid my taxes Now retired I am broke trying to live day to day. My adult children trying to raise their families are struggling also. This is such a an expensive state to live in. I am looking to move to the Midwest. The politicians here have ruined this state.