Massachusetts debates how long homeless people can stay in shelters
BOSTON — A proposal that would limit how long homeless people can stay in emergency shelters was approved by lawmakers in the Massachusetts House on Wednesday, as the system is strained by an influx of migrants.
Under the bill, which passed by a vote of 121-33 and now heads to the Senate, the state would limit the maximum stay to nine months, with an additional three months for those who are employed or in vocational training.
Pregnant women and people with disabilities would, among other things, be eligible for 12 consecutive months, regardless of their employment status.
The bill states that its goal is to help families successfully exit the program and enter the workforce, while creating space for families who are on the waitlist as a result of the emergency regulations passed by Governor Maura Healey last year have been issued.
These regulations established a maximum of 7,500 families participating in the emergency shelter program. As of Wednesday, about 700 families were waiting to participate in the program — a number that is expected to continue to grow. The bill would set aside an additional $245 million through the end of the fiscal year to help provide additional shelter assistance.
Massachusetts isn’t alone in struggling with ways to limit the time homeless people can stay in shelters.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced in January that the city would again extend the 60-day limit on shelter for asylum seekers, just days before a deadline that could have deported nearly 2,000 migrants.
Other U.S. cities, including New York and Denver, have imposed shelter restrictions as they struggle to house and care for the growing population of migrants arriving by bus and plane.
Supporters of the bill in Massachusetts said the state must take action because the federal government is not.
“It has become crystal clear that the federal government will not provide assistance to states like ours facing this emergency across the country,” said Democratic Rep. Aaron Michlewitz. “Without making some temporary changes to this program, it will collapse under its own weight.”
In November, the State House approved another $250 million for the program and required the Healey administration to identify state-funded emergency shelters for families on the waiting list.
Wednesday’s bill requires that these overflow locations be open until at least 9 a.m. daily and that future overflow locations must operate 24 hours a day and be located in different geographic areas.
Republicans said the bill gives the illusion of action while not addressing the underlying problem.
Republican Senator Peter Durant said the legislation is lacking and does not address the root cause of the crisis.
“If a migrant’s nine months are up and he or she leaves the program without addressing the continued influx, a new migrant will simply fill that spot,” he said. “Not to mention the potentially volatile situation that could arise if the state starts actively evicting families from hotel rooms.”
Republican lawmakers also pushed for an amendment that would have created a six-month residency requirement to qualify for the Right to Shelter program. The amendment was rejected.
The United Way of Massachusetts Bay, a charitable organization, last week announced the opening of a new temporary emergency overnight shelter in Boston’s Seaport District. The shelter will house about 25 families and their children, officials said.