Massachusetts spending $181,792 per year, or $13,984 per month, per family in the emergency shelter system

Per the State’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, the Massachusetts emergency shelter system costs approximately $3,496 per week per family, or $1,000 per person per week. That’s nearly $14,000 per month or $182,000 per year per family in the shelter system. The total shelter taxpayer cost for FY2025 is estimated at $1.06 billion.

The spending covers more than just shelter, covering food, education, legal aid, and case management as well.

Per the report, there are roughly 4,000 families currently in the shelter system, 1,510 who entered as migrants, refugees, or asylum seekers.

Of the reasons for homelessness, 350 were there for domestic violence/abuse, 734 for health/safety, 1,516 because their home was “not meant for human habitation”, 20 for fire, flood or natural disaster, 10 were asked to leave a tean living program, 419 evictions and 978 we classified as “other.”

There are currently 74 families in Fall River and 21 in New Bedford in the Massachusetts shelter system.

Source: Executive Office for Administration and Finance, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (June 16, 2025 report)