Migrant influx strains ‘right-to-shelter’ system in Massachusetts, NYC

By James On Oct 17, 2023

Massachusetts’ emergency family shelter system will reach capacity by the end of the month, Gov. Maura Healey warned Monday, saying the system has been expanding at an unsustainable pace to meet the demand of newly arrived migrant families.

Also on Monday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced he is limiting shelter stays for migrant families with children to 60 days.

Both seek to ease pressure on housing systems that have been overwhelmed by the large influx of asylum seekers over the past year.

Mr. Adams’ office said it will begin sending 60-day notices to migrant families living in shelters in New York, although they can reapply for housing if they cannot find a new place to live. The city will also provide “intensified casework services” to help families secure housing, according to a news release.

Massachusetts, meanwhile, will begin assessing families seeking shelter after November 1; those with the highest needs, including health and safety risks, will be prioritised. Families who cannot immediately be placed in shelter are placed on a waiting list.

As a right-to-shelter state, Massachusetts is legally required to provide shelter to eligible families through its emergency assistance program. Ms. Healey said the state will not give up on the law, but noted that the state is on track to reach its capacity of 7,500 families — or about 24,000 people — by the end of October.

“The reality we face now is this. We do not have enough space, providers or funds to safely expand to more than 7,500 families,” Ms Healey told reporters. “At that point, we will no longer be able to guarantee housing for new families entering the system.”

In Massachusetts, families are currently spread across hundreds of locations in 90 cities and towns in a range of facilities, from traditional shelters to hotels and motels to temporary locations such as student dormitories. About half of the people staying in emergency shelter are children.

Mr. Adams is seeking to suspend New York City’s own right-to-shelter law, unique among major cities in the United States. In New York City alone, more than 60,000 migrants currently live in city shelters, many without the legal ability to work, his office said.

“With more than 64,100 asylum seekers still in the city’s care, and thousands of additional migrants arriving every week, extending this policy to all asylum seekers in our care is the only way to help migrants take the next steps in their journey,” said Mr Adams. in a statement.

Ms. Healey’s colleague, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, said last week that she supported New York City’s efforts to suspend the right to shelter law.

Mr. Adams estimates that the city will spend $12 billion over the next three years to accommodate the influx, setting up large-scale emergency shelters, renting out hotels and providing various government services to migrants.

Ms. Healey said Massachusetts is working to help families already in shelters leave the system to help free up more space, and is calling on the federal government for expedited work authorization so newcomers can find jobs and start earning a living faster . She said many are willing and able to work, and the state has plenty of job openings.

“We urgently need support from the federal government, which bears ultimate responsibility for this situation,” she said. “This is a federal problem that requires a federal solution.”

Immigrant rights activists said they welcome the steps the Healey administration has taken, but said state and federal lawmakers must do more.