The Massachusetts House has approved an additional $245 million for emergency family shelters as an increasing migrant population in the state continues to overburden the system.
House members are trying to limit shelter stays to nine months as part of the bill passed March 7. The average stay is 13-14 months.
Democrat Gov. Maura Healey attempted to take a burden off the program last fall by capping the number of families to 7,500. But as of last week, there are still over 700 families on the waitlist.
Massachusetts is the only state with a “right-to-shelter” law.
However, state officials are concerned that the system in place is unsustainable.
“It’s been growing by the day, month to month,” state House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Aaron Michlewitz said. “This is a way for us to find a way to continue to do the program, keep it as one of the most beneficial programs in the entire country on this discussion, but also make sure that we’re creating a system that is sustainable.”
