BOSTON (AP) — Families staying at overflow shelter sites in Massachusetts will soon have to document monthly their efforts to get out of the overflow system, including finding housing or work, says Maura Healey of Massachusetts. The governor made the announcement Monday.
Starting May 1, families will have to re-certify monthly to remain eligible to stay at state-run overflow sites.
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The government says they will need to show what steps they have taken to become independent, including applying for work permits, participating in workforce training programs, submitting job applications, taking English classes and finding housing. .
Healy said the requirement is important as a measure of accountability.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, accompanied by fellow Democrats Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano, at an overflow shelter location at the Massachusetts State Capitol in Boston, Monday, March 25, 2024. It announced that homeless families staying there will soon have to submit documentation every month. Their efforts to find a way out of the overflow shelter system, such as finding housing or jobs or taking English classes. (AP Photo/Steve LeBlanc)
“This is important because we are trying to manage this responsibly,” she told reporters on Monday.
Healey acknowledged there may be good reasons why certain individuals are unable to meet the requirements, but those who don’t try may lose their place in the state’s shelter system. I was warned that there would be.
“If you don’t have a valid reason for not meeting the requirements, you will lose your position,” she said. “The whole intent of this plan is to divert people from the emergency shelter system and direct them down a different path.”
This policy does not apply to sites operated by the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, a charitable organization.
Immigration advocates say they fear the new regulations will complicate life for homeless immigrants who are already focused on getting out of shelters.
“Forcing families to reapply for emergency shelter every month creates unnecessary red tape, creates confusion, and ultimately costs more families,” said Elizabeth Sweet of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. We are deeply concerned that this will put more people on the streets.”
State and federal officials should instead focus on providing community service organizations with the resources they need to support arrivals seeking work permits, long-term housing and case management services, she said.
Massachusetts is grappling with a growing influx of homeless immigrant families seeking shelter.
The state’s Emergency Assistance Family Shelter System serves homeless families with children and pregnant women. Officials say less than half of EA families are new to Massachusetts.
Last fall, the government announced that it was no longer possible to safely or responsibly expand this system and create a waiting list. Families who qualify for emergency shelter and are on a waiting list are eligible to stay at the state’s overflow facilities or safety net sites, which currently provide shelter to about 200 families.
The administration also announced Monday that it will open a new overwater shelter next month at the former Chelsea Soldiers’ Home in Chelsea. The site is now vacant and will eventually be demolished.
The Chelsea site is expected to accommodate approximately 100 families when fully occupied.
The announcement comes as the Massachusetts Senate last week approved limits on how long homeless families can stay in the state’s emergency shelters as part of an $850 million plan to fund the system at the center of the immigration crisis. It was done after.
Under the bill approved by a 32-8 vote late Thursday, the state would limit the length of stay to a maximum of nine months for veterans, pregnant women, and people employed or enrolled in job training programs. It may be extended for another 90 days.
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Currently, there is no limit to the amount of time a family can spend in emergency housing.
The bill already passed by the House would provide funding to cover the remainder of fiscal year 2024, which ends June 30, and part of 2025. The two bills will be sent to a conference committee to work out a single compromise before being sent to Democrats. Governor Maura Healey’s signature desk.
