BOSTON — On Wednesday, the governor of Massachusetts said that most of the time, all members of a family living in emergency shelters would have to be legally in the country. This is a stronger statement from her than before, as safety concerns are raised at the shelters.
Democratic Gov. Maura Healey also wants to make background checks for people staying at the shelter stronger by showing records of criminal charges in the state and other places. Her plan would make applicants prove who they are, where they live, and their position before they could be housed. At the moment, people who want to live in a shelter can be kept without having to show any paperwork. It would only cover people who were kicked out in that state, not anywhere else in the country.
According to Healey, these changes are needed to make sure that the state shelter system will last for a long time in a way that is in line with what the law was meant to do from the start. Additionally, these suggested modifications will help us keep our system safe, assist cities and towns in meeting the needs of homeless families in their areas, and lead us to a shelter system that can better handle its finances.
The government has to agree with the governor’s plan.
Since 2023, a lot of migrants have come to the state, and its housing system for homeless families has been overrun. Similar problems have come up in New York, Chicago, and Denver, which has caused more people to become homeless.
Healey said last year that families who weren’t first chosen to stay in emergency shelters would be able to stay at overflow spots for up to five days. Because of the system’s “continuing capacity constraints” and the need to protect its financial sustainability, Healey said she was making it harder for people to get help from the emergency support system.
Another change made by the state is that homeless families can only stay in shelters for nine months at a time. After the first 90 days, families can get up to two more expansions.
There have also been worries about safety since a migrant was caught with drugs and a gun at one shelter this month. The state’s records show that there have been hundreds of serious events at the shelters, such as rapes.
Ronald Mariano, the Democratic Speaker of the House, said that the plan fits with what lawmakers have been trying to do.
“From the start of the shelter system crisis, the House has consistently led the effort to make sure that the Commonwealth’s emergency assistance program could remain financially viable in the long term,” he said in a statement. “This led to reforms that limited the length of stay and required job training for people in the shelter system.”
Concerns about safety have been used by Republicans to criticize the governor’s handling of the migrant situation. They liked Healey’s idea and said it showed she was willing to work on the problem.
In a statement, Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr said, “There is growing agreement on Beacon Hill and across the Commonwealth that big changes need to be made right away. We now have the chance to finally make the system safer, more accountable and open, and more sustainable.”
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