Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill Tuesday that would impose a time limit on stays in the state’s emergency shelter system, reversing the 40-year-old “right to shelter” for families and pregnant women.
MeaegisIaction — which includes $251 million for shelters starting this fiscal year — will impose a nine-month limit on stays in the system starting in June, but the law also allows for two 90-day extensions after that initial limit.
Healey said the bill “dedicates resources to balancing the budget and maintaining critical services and programs,” in a statement to NBC News on Wednesday.
“It also implements a length-of-stay policy for Emergency Assistance shelters, which is a responsible step to address our capacity and fiscal constraints as Congress continues to fail to act on immigration reform,” continues the statement. declaration.
Healey added that her office is “finalizing details” in the coming weeks to “ensure families and providers are informed about the requirements and services we have available to help them secure stable work and housing.”
The law also requires the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, which oversees the state’s emergency shelter system, to establish a rehousing plan that includes case management for those leaving shelters. Families will be eligible to request stay extensions based on factors such as whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth; your veteran status, employment status or participation in workforce training; their imminent placement in housing; or the need to avoid educational disruptions for children in public schools.
Extensions will also be considered for those diagnosed with a disability or medical condition; single parents caring for disabled children or family members or single parents without adequate child care; and those at risk of harm from domestic violence.
Massachusetts was the only state to have a “right to shelter” law to provide housing for families and pregnant women indefinitely. But the state system has faced historic challenges due to the increase in the number of homeless resident families — who face one of the most inaccessible housing markets in the country — and the influx of migrant families who find themselves in need.
The shelter system has housed approximately 7,500 families since Healey established a cap at the that the number in October, saying in a statement that the shelter system was becoming “unsustainable.”
Healey referenced the notable change in the number of families qualifying for shelter in recent months. According to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, the number of families in state shelters jumped from just under 4,000 in March 2023 to more than 7,500 in April this year – with another 700 families on the shelter waiting list.
According to the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, just over half of the current 7,500 families in the state’s emergency shelter system are those who recently arrived in the state as refugees or migrants.
State Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, the Democratic chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee who was involved in negotiations with the state Senate over the legislation, told NBC News before its passage that even with its potential enactment, Massachusetts would still have one of the o more generous shelter systems.
“It’s still one of the most generous, it’s probably the most generous program in the country, in terms of what it offers,” Michlewitz said. While some other major cities like Chicago and New York allow only short stays in their shelter systems, “we’re talking months here in Massachusetts,” he said.
Shelter directors argued against the nine-month stay, pointing to data from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, which concludes that the average length of stay for families in the system is nearly double, about 16 months.
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
