BOSTON, Mass. — Governor Maura Healey unveiled a plan Wednesday that could significantly alter Massachusetts’ right-to-shelter law, originally enacted in 1983. This law ensures that homeless families and pregnant women receive emergency housing. However, with shelters reaching their capacity of 7,500 families this year due to a surge in migrants, state officials see a need for reform.
Governor Healey emphasized that the reforms aim to maintain safety, support communities, and achieve fiscal sustainability within the shelter system. She stated, “These proposed changes will allow us to ensure the safety of our system, support cities and towns in addressing the needs of unhoused families in their communities, and put us on the path toward a more fiscally sustainable shelter system.”
One notable change would require individuals seeking emergency shelter to provide proof of legal residency in the United States. According to the governor’s office, family members must demonstrate that they are either U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the country, with exceptions for households that include a child who is a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident.
The governor’s proposal also includes a stricter residency requirement. Currently, those seeking shelter need only claim Massachusetts residency without evidence. The proposed changes would require detailed proof or attestations of a three-month physical presence within the state, showing an intent to remain in Massachusetts.
Additionally, the reforms would demand that shelter applicants disclose any past criminal convictions. This follows Healey’s 2022 discovery that criminal background checks she mandated for Massachusetts shelters had never been performed.
Furthermore, the new rules would only allow families who experienced no-fault evictions within Massachusetts to be eligible for shelter, excluding those evicted in other states.
Governor Healey expressed her belief in the necessity of the reforms, stating, “I believe these changes are appropriate and needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the state shelter system in a way that aligns with the original intent of the law.”
The pressure on the state’s shelter system was highlighted by state officials who reported that Massachusetts currently sees an average of 18 families seeking emergency shelter daily. This figure is a decrease from previous years.
Last year, Healey’s administration actively communicated the state’s shelter capacity issues at the southern U.S. border and revealed plans to limit shelter stays to six months and to phase out the use of hotels as temporary shelters.
The governor’s proposals have stirred various responses, with advocacy groups expressing concerns about the potential impact on vulnerable populations. The proposed legislation will undergo legislative review where its implications will be thoroughly debated.
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