Massachusetts HomeBASE program costs increased 718% from $12 million to $101 million from 2022 to 2025

Usage and cost of the Massachusetts HomeBASE Program, used to re-house families in (or eligible for) the emergency shelter system, exploded during the migrant crisis—rising from $12 million in 2022 to $101 million in 2025 — as it served thousands of eligible migrant families as a key “off-ramp” from overwhelmed shelters, helping reduce strain on the system while the shelter population roughly doubled before later declining.

What is the HomeBASE Program?

The Massachusetts HomeBASE program is a state-funded re-housing initiative that helps families experiencing homelessness secure stable housing quickly and avoid or exit the Emergency Assistance (EA) Family Shelter system, which includes motels and shelters.

Eligibility is limited to families already approved (or eligible) for EA Family Shelter—no open applications are accepted, and participants are referred by state homeless coordinators. Qualifying households must be Massachusetts residents, meet income guidelines (generally at or below 115% of the federal poverty level), include a pregnant person or children under 21, and have become homeless for specific reasons like eviction without fault, domestic violence, natural disaster, or health/safety risks to a child.

Assistance can total up to $30,000 over two years, with the possibility of a third year of support in some cases. Funds may cover monthly rent subsidies, first/last month’s rent, security deposits, broker’s fees, utility and rent arrears (often up to $5,000), furniture, moving expenses, and other one-time needs tailored to the family’s situation.

Per Mass.gov, the HomeBASE program cost $12 million in 2022, $26 million in 2023, $37 million in 2024 and $101 million in 2025 – an increase of 718% from 2022 to 2025. The timeframe lines up with the migrant crisis (2022 – 2025) and an historic rise in interest rates (2022-2023). The migrant crisis impacted Massachusetts more than most states due to the state’s right to shelter law. Governor Healey’s interpretation, and State legislators refusal to change the law, allowed people with at least one child from all 50 U.S. states and every country to have access to government funded housing which costs Massachusetts taxpayers $1 billion annually.

The Migrant Crisis Hits Massachusetts

The migrant crisis in Massachusetts emerged in 2022 as part of a broader national surge in asylum seekers and migrants arriving at the U.S. southern border. Many families, primarily from Venezuela, Haiti, and other Latin American and African countries, traveled north after crossing the border. Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s busing program, which transported migrants to Democratic-led cities including Boston, amplified arrivals in Massachusetts, though most migrants arrived independently seeking jobs, family networks, or sanctuary policies. 

Massachusetts’ longstanding “right to shelter” law—requiring the state to provide emergency housing to eligible families—faced unprecedented strain. The state’s Emergency Assistance family shelter system, already serving local homeless families, saw its population roughly double. By mid-2023, thousands of migrant families overwhelmed capacity, leading to families sleeping at Logan Airport, hospitals, and other ad-hoc sites. 

In August 2023, Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency. She capped the shelter system at around 7,500 families, introduced time limits (initially 9 months with extensions, later tightened), created waiting lists, and prioritized certain cases. The state leased over 100 hotels/motels as overflow shelters, with costs exceeding $1 billion annually at peak. Reforms, combined with federal border policy changes under the Trump administration, reduced inflows. 

By 2025, the crisis eased significantly: shelter numbers dropped below 5,000–5,400 families (with migrants/refugees comprising fewer than half), all hotel shelters closed by August 2025, and the emergency declaration ended. The episode highlighted tensions between Massachusetts’ shelter mandate, affordable housing shortages, and national immigration dynamics.

During the migrant crisis peak, HomeBASE usage surged dramatically (from ~1,500 families in early 2023 to over 7,700 by 2025), serving thousands of migrant households exiting shelters and helping reduce shelter system strain and costs. Families must prove qualifying immigration status and residency. While it has successfully housed many, some recipients (including immigrants awaiting work permits) later face challenges covering full rent once subsidies taper. Overall, it functions as a key “off-ramp” from emergency shelter for eligible migrant families.

Official Massachusetts shelter data shows the migrant share dropping from ~53% in early 2025 to ~38% by mid-2025, with the majority now longtime Massachusetts residents. HomeBASE has followed a similar trend.