Significant changes will be made to the temporary shelter program for immigrants in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has proposed major modifications to the state’s emergency shelter access policies, citing concerns about system security and sustainability.
Her proposal would require at least one member of each family using an emergency shelter to be legally present in the United States.
These changes, announced Wednesday, also include stricter background checks for shelter applicants to identify any prior criminal convictions, both within and outside Massachusetts. Currently, families can access shelters without necessarily having legal status in the United States.
Healey’s plan would require applicants to verify their identity, residency, and immigration status before being placed in a temporary shelter.
Additionally, access to shelters due to eviction would be restricted to individuals displaced within the state.
“These proposed changes will allow us to ensure the safety of our system, support cities and towns in addressing the needs of homeless families, and move towards a more financially sustainable shelter system,” Healey said in a statement cited by The Independent.
The proposed reforms come as the state’s shelter system faces increasing strain due to a surge in migrant arrivals. Like New York and Chicago, Massachusetts is seeing its resources rapidly deplete in the face of a marked increase in shelter requests since 2023.
Safety concerns have intensified the debate. A recent incident in which a migrant was found with drugs and an automatic weapon in a shelter has drawn significant public attention. State records also reveal hundreds of serious violations in shelters, including cases of sexual assault.
Healey’s proposal builds on earlier efforts to manage shelter capacity. Last year, her administration limited shelter stays to nine months, with the possibility of two 90-day extensions, and reduced stays at overflow sites to five days for families not prioritized for emergency housing.
Legislative leaders have expressed support for the governor’s plan. Democratic House Speaker Ronald Mariano highlighted that the proposal aligns with ongoing legislative efforts to ensure the financial viability of the state’s emergency shelter program.
Republican lawmakers also welcomed Healey’s initiative. Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr called it an opportunity to address systemic challenges. “We now have the chance to finally take actions that will make the system safer, more accountable, more transparent, and more sustainable,” Tarr said, as reported by The Independent.
Thousands of newly arrived immigrants in the United States are placed in temporary shelters. Without work permits to enter the labor market, many of them rely on these temporary housing programs while waiting to support themselves.
Without these shelters, the situation would be extremely difficult for many migrants seeking refuge in states once considered sanctuary states, such as Massachusetts. However, this has changed since Donald Trump’s re-election for a second term.
Shortly after Trump’s decisive presidential victory, Governor Healey began adopting a tougher stance on immigration. In a December interview with WBZ-TV, Healey made her position crystal clear: “We are not a sanctuary state. If you come here, there is no housing, and I think that has been effective in changing the trajectory [of immigration to Massachusetts].” She also expressed skepticism about the meaning of the term “sanctuary state,” stating, “I don’t understand what that terminology means in practice because I approach this issue as a former prosecutor and attorney general.”
The governor also promised strict enforcement of laws targeting undocumented immigrants who commit crimes. “I can tell you that when it comes to criminal investigations of violent crimes, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking—today, as always—local law enforcement, state law enforcement, and federal law enforcement will continue to work together on this.”
In her State of the Commonwealth address, Governor Healey reminded undocumented immigrants considering criminal activity in her state that Massachusetts will collaborate with the federal government to deport anyone in unlawful status who commits crimes in the state.