BOSTON (AP) – Massachusetts’ reliance on hotels and motels to house the homeless will be phased out in the next few years, Gov. Maura Healey said Friday, outlining changes to the emergency family housing program.
The Democratic governor said the changes will help more families find stable, permanent housing and help manage finances. Healey said the emergency assistance system remained stable at around 7,500 families with around 40 families starting to seek shelter per day. In recent months, this average has dropped to 15 families per day, he said.
“In recent years, the government’s family housing system has grown unsustainable,” Healey said in a statement. “We have taken great steps to reverse its growth, and we have seen tangible results.”
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Last year, Healey declared a state of emergency, foreclosing on 7,500 families. The government has also banned homeless families from sleeping at Logan International Airport in Boston.
Healey said the state will be suspending the use of hotels and motels to house homeless people during the 2025 and 2026 financial years. The buildings lack space for services and can be private, Healey said. He said aid providers will work with families to find safe and stable homes.
The administration will also push to increase the government’s short-term rental income, Healey said. Under this change, families will be able to get up to $25,000 in rent per year for two years. The current benefit is $30,000 over two or $45,000 over three years.
First Dec. 10, homeless families will be placed on the “Rapid Shelter Track” or “Bridge Shelter Track” depending on their needs, Healey said.
The Rapid Shelter Track is aimed at families with the resources to quickly find permanent shelter. They will be given 30 days of support to help them transition quickly to more stable housing.
The Bridge Shelter Track is for families with the most complex needs who may take longer to find permanent housing – including women with late pregnancies and people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Gladys Vega, president of La Colaborativa, an immigrant charity in Chelsea, Massachusetts, said it is important to maintain a safety net for those struggling to find affordable housing.
“As rental prices continue to rise, families across the state are increasingly unable to afford housing,” Vega said. “Most Massachusetts residents have a one-time payment from homelessness.”
Massachusetts has struggled to keep up with the spike in homeless job demand — in part because of the influx of immigrants to the state.
In June, Healey announced that starting August 1, families who were not prioritized for placement in emergency shelters would be eligible to stay in flood zones for just five days.
Healey said he was imposing restrictions on eligibility for the emergency aid program because of the system’s “continuing challenges” and the need to protect its economy.
Beginning June 1, the state also began limiting how long homeless families can stay in their homes to nine months. After that, families are eligible for up to two 90-day extensions.