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Live updates: Migrant crisis reverberates through Mass.
The state's emergency shelter system remains full, even as more migrant families in need of shelter enter Massachusetts every day.
Last summer, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency as the state’s emergency shelter system rapidly filled up. Healey cited the state’s ongoing housing crisis and a surge in migration as her reasons for calling on help from the federal government. About half of those in the shelter system are migrants.
Last fall, state officials announced a 7,500-family cap on the shelter system and a waitlist for those being shut out. Lawmakers then passed an overdue supplemental budget that included $250 million in emergency shelter assistance that Healey had requested. A portion of those dollars were set aside to fund overflow shelters for those being waitlisted. Officials have estimated that emergency shelter costs would come close to $1 billion by the end of fiscal year 2024.
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A number of these overflow, or “safety-net” shelter sites have opened up around Massachusetts since then. Some were launched under a grant program through United Way; others, like the one occupying the Melnea A. Cass Recreational Complex in Roxbury, are directly run by the state.
Through it all, migrants continue to come into the state. Healey and top Massachusetts lawmakers urged congress to pass a bipartisan immigration reform deal that would help stem the flow.
THE MIGRANT CRISIS:
But momentum in Washington stalled after former President Donald Trump pressured Republicans to not support it so that he could continue to capitalize on the border chaos in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. If elected, he reportedly plans to enact a mass-deportation program by deploying National Guard troops to round up migrants and place them in internment camps before deporting them.
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As the political games play out, many homeless migrants who escaped brutal conditions around the world struggle to fit in and make ends meet in Massachusetts. Healey has repeatedly said that migrants are desperate to work and employers are desperate for able hands. State officials partnered with the Department of Homeland Security to offer work authorization clinics, and Healey has pressed the Biden administration to allow migrants to get their work permits quicker. A major report released in early February found that migrants who stay in the state and find jobs here will directly benefit the region’s economy.
Want to help? Boston.com has an updated list of Massachusetts-based resources and organizations that help migrants in a variety of ways, ranging from providing food and clothing to finding housing. Also, here’s how you can host a migrant in your home.
Follow below for regular updates on the migrant crisis in Massachusetts:
Trahan tries new strategy to get funding for migrants (March 11)
Rep. Lori Trahan and several other members of congress are trying a new tactic to secure funding that would help states accommodate an influx of new migrant arrivals. Trahan and Rep. Diana DeGette of Colorado are urging those negotiating the federal Homeland Security budget to allocate $3 billion in funding for the FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program (SSP).
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The request comes during continued disagreement on Capitol Hill. A bipartisan group of lawmakers recently agreed to a deal that would toughen border enforcement measures, only for it to collapse amid pressure from former President Donald Trump.
Citing the fact that lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have worked towards immigration compromises to no effect, Trahan and DeGette said that “congressional gridlock” has “exacerbated the need” for more SSP dollars.
A border deal that failed in the senate appropriated $1.4 billion for the SSP, which was the same amount President Biden included in a supplemental request.
“Currently, individual cities themselves are needing billions to keep up with the growing demand, with mayors of affected cities requesting $5 billion in federal support,” Trahan and DeGette wrote in a letter Monday morning. “As this need continues to climb, it is clear that the current funding levels for SSP in FY24 Appropriations remain severely inadequate. Furthermore, since immigration reforms are extremely unlikely in the short term, the need for SSP funding is all the more urgent.”
The letter referenced the chaotic current state of the country’s immigration system, where asylum applicants are often stuck in “legal limbo” for months or years. Some migrants are expected to wait up to six years for an initial hearing, according to the lawmakers. Immigration courts are severely backlogged, with more than 3 million cases “stuck” there.
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Asylum seekers have to wait 150 days before getting their work permits, forcing them to rely on support from the government, they wrote. Gov. Maura Healey has repeatedly called on the federal government to help expedite this process, saying that employers are eager for new talent and helping migrants get jobs will alleviate the some pressure on the state’s overburdened emergency shelter system.
“Without any change to the structure of our asylum system, the number of cases will continue to grow, making it even more challenging to efficiently process applications and provide safety to approved applicants fleeing danger,” Trahan and DeGette wrote.
Eighteen Democrats supported the message and signed onto the letter, including Mass. reps Seth Moulton, Ayanna Pressley, Jim McGovern, and Bill Keating.
After Biden’s State of the Union speech last week, where he assailed Republicans for abandoning the bipartisan deal, Trahan told Politico that the GOP has no intention of fixing border issues before election day.
“I have become more and more convinced, and it was only just emphasized to me tonight, that [Republicans] would rather scream out ‘5,000 a day’ or ‘shut down the border’ or complain about this or campaign on it — even worse — than actually solve the problem,” she told Politico.
Lawmakers approve stay limits at emergency shelters (March 6)
Lawmakers approved new limits for families in emergency shelters that cap stays at nine months to a year, a move that comes after unprecedented demand in housing for migrant and homeless families.
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The bill, which passed 121-33 on Wednesday, also funds the state-run emergency shelter system with $260 million to last through June.
Starting April 1, people in emergency shelters across the state will be not allowed to stay more than nine consecutive months. If individuals are employed or in training programs, they can stay an additional three months. People who are pregnant or have certain conditions are also eligible to stay for a year.
The caps on stay lengths are a first for the state-run shelter system, where families stayed an average of 14 months in 2023.
“Since the beginning of the migrant crisis, we have attempted to uphold the Commonwealth’s right to shelter law while also being mindful of the long-term fiscal sustainability of the program,” Boston Rep. Aaron Michlewitz said in a statement before the bill was passed.
Back in November, Gov. Maura Healey capped the number of families in the system at 7,500, which was quickly met with backlash. The stay limit, which Healey supports, is a “temporary, emergency option,” a spokesperson said.
“We are facing severe capacity concerns due to federal inaction on immigration reform,” Healey’s spokesperson Karissa Hand said. “We will review the final details of the supplemental budget when it reaches the Governor’s desk.”
Mass. is ‘on our own’ in dealing with migrant influx, says Mariano (Feb. 29)
Democratic lawmakers are evaluating new options as they come to grips with Washington’s lack of help in handling the surge of migrants to Massachusetts.
“We’re not expecting any help from Washington,” House Speaker Ron Mariano said on Wednesday, per Politico. “We are on our own on this, and we realize that now.”
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Mariano’s comments come as the Massachusetts House debates a supplemental spending bill filed by Gov. Maura Healey in January. It would allocate about $900 million from a transitional escrow fund to cover the costs associated with the shelter crisis. Under state law, pregnant women and families with children are promised emergency shelter. As rising home prices coincided with an influx of migrants, the shelter system reached capacity last year.
The rising costs associated with this situation are weighing on top elected officials. Healey requested, and eventually received, $250 million for shelter costs last year. The funding, while crucial, was understood to largely be a stopgap as the crisis shows no signs of slowing down in the immediate future.
In January, Healey announced $375 million in spending cuts amid underwhelming tax revenue. Earlier this month, the state downgraded the amount of tax revenue it expected to collect this fiscal year by $1 billion. Officials have estimated that the shelter system would cost the state close to an extra $224 million before the fiscal year ends in June. It will cost an estimated $915 million in fiscal year 2025.
“We’re looking at a billion-dollar bill for next year in the midst of declining revenues. Do you realize what that will do to us?” Mariano said this week, according to The Boston Globe. “So we have to take a look at how we administer this program.”
Healey, Mariano, and Senate President Karen Spilka all urged Congress to pass the bipartisan bill that would have tightened border security to no avail.
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Mariano said Wednesday that the House does not plan to change the “right-to-shelter” law, and reaffirmed that lawmakers “are committed to helping immigrants arrive and settle” in Massachusetts, according to the Globe.
In the past, the Healey administration has flirted with the idea of limiting how long families can stay in the shelter system. Republicans unsuccessfully fought to prohibit people who have lived in the state for less than six months or a year from being placed into the shelter system. Those ideas could potentially still be on the table.
“We are talking about a lot of different options,” Mariano said when asked if he was considering either possibility.
Fort Point residents raise concerns about migrant overflow shelter (Feb. 28)
A day after Gov. Maura Healey confirmed that plans were in motion to convert a Fort Point office building into an overflow shelter that would accommodate many migrants, residents voiced their concerns about the project.
Retired Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice, who was tapped by Healey to lead the state’s response to the shelter crisis, gave an update to a meeting of the Fort Point Neighborhood Association Tuesday night. He told attendees that the shelter was about 75% of the way to being fully operational. It could open as soon as late next week, according to The Boston Globe.
Not everyone was thrilled.
“These are real people with real souls,” Rice said at the meeting, per the Globe.
“We don’t know them,” an unidentified woman reportedly responded.
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The overnight shelter will occupy 24 Farnsworth St. This 92,000-square-foot building is the headquarters of the Unitarian Universalist Association. It will be used to help some of the hundreds of homeless families who are being placed on waitlists for the state’s emergency shelter system. About half of those in the system are migrants, while the other half are longer-term Massachusetts residents, officials have said.
After congressional Republicans blocked a deal that would have cracked down on border security at the behest of former President Donald Trump, concrete actions to decrease the flow of migrants into America remain elusive. Migrant arrivals surged in Massachusetts and, combined with the ongoing housing affordability crisis, overwhelmed the state’s emergency shelters. Those shelters have been at capacity for months, and officials are now relying on sites like the Farnsworth Street property to give families a place to sleep at night.
The new shelter is being set up by the United Way, Healey said Monday. She told reporters that she would like to see it functioning “as soon as possible.”
Rice said Tuesday that the building would temporarily give about 25 families a place to sleep. Rice estimated that this would translate to about 80 people, largely from Haiti, according to the Globe. There are six bathrooms in the building, but no showers. Families staying there will be transported by van to and from a nearby YMCA to shower.
Haiti was plagued by gang violence in 2023. U.N. officials documented about 8,400 victims of gang violence in the Caribbean nation last year, a 122% rise from 2022, according to the Associated Press. More than 310,000 people have been left homeless, and gangs control up to 80% of Port-au-Prince, the capital. The U.N. authorized Kenya to lead a multinational force to restore peace in Haiti last year, but those forces have not yet been deployed.
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Some residents of Fort Point expressed fear of those fleeing this situation.
“How are you going to ensure we’re safe?” one woman asked officials at the meeting, according to the Globe. “We pay taxes. We live here. This is our neighborhood.”
Others voiced frustration over the inconvenience that could potentially be caused by the buses taking the migrants to shower.
“You can’t even get down that street,” another woman said, per the Globe. “Imagine buses coming and going. That’s ridiculous.”
Boston officials told the paper that the shelter has been approved to operate for 90 days. Whether or not that period could be extended is unclear.
Another information session is planned for Friday at 6 p.m.
Healey confirms overflow shelter for migrants in Fort Point (Feb. 27)
Gov. Maura Healey confirmed Monday that a new shelter for migrants is being set up in a Fort Point office building.
Speaking with WCVB, Healey said that the site is the product of a partnership between her administration, Boston city officials, and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay.
“We continue to need to find safe housing for people, we continue to be in dialogue with community and with the city,” she said.
The shelter is still being set up. Healey gave no definite timetable regarding how soon it could be operational, only saying that she would like to see it being used “as soon as possible.”
The property, located at 24 Farnsworth St., is a 92,000-square-foot building owned by the Unitarian Universalist Association. The UUA and officials confirmed earlier this month that it was being looked at as a potential shelter site.
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The shelter will be an overflow, or “safety net” site meant to accommodate those families who are on the waitlist for the state’s overburdened emergency shelter system. Pregnant women and families with children who are homeless are guaranteed shelter under the state’s “right to shelter” law. The system has been at capacity for months, and officials have said that about half of the families in it are migrants.
Families without a place to sleep continue to come to Massachusetts at a steady clip, and officials are working to set up overflow sites around the state. The Healey administration is partnering with United Way as part of this effort, awarding the organization a $5 million grant to fund additional shelters.
The United Way is doing its “due diligence” with local leaders to evaluate the viability of the Fort Point site, a spokesperson told The Boston Globe. Details could be finalized and shared with residents as soon as Tuesday evening. The building would only be used as a temporary, overnight shelter.
Many are looking for more information. The Fort Point Neighborhood Association told the Globe that it sent a list of questions to city and state officials earlier this month, but have not received answers. City Councilor Ed Flynn called out United Way for not adequately engaging with residents and local elected officials.
“We are extremely disappointed that they failed to respect the neighborhood [by not] asking their opinion and being available for a briefing,” Flynn told the Globe. He is opposing the plan in part due to the fact that it does not have showers.
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A spokesperson for Boston Mayor Michelle Wu told the Globe that the city has clearly communicated to the state the importance of public input in this process and the need to minimize disruptions to neighbors.
Dedham shuts down proposal for catering business to provide food for migrants (Feb. 22)
A proposal that would have expanded the use of a kitchen at a shuttered Dedham restaurant to provide meals for migrant families and others living at a nearby hotel was rejected Wednesday.
The state’s ongoing migrant crisis and the role that municipalities play in helping accommodate the new arrivals elicited strong reactions from Dedham residents both before and during Wednesday’s Zoning Board of Appeals meeting.
Following a lengthy public comment period, the board ultimately opted to deny the proposal. There was loud applause after the decision was announced, The Boston Herald reported.
The idea was presented by representatives from Giri Hotel Management. It would have restored the former Victory Grille restaurant on Elm Street from a vacant building to a “kitchen-only” facility. This would have been used to make meals for the families staying at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott Boston Dedham.
Between four and six employees would have worked 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. making meals that were to be taken to hotels in two vans, according to application submitted to the ZBA. As many as 400 people at the hotel are already receiving lunches and dinners, and this plan would have expanded operations to better accommodate those at the Fairfield Inn while also serving people at other properties managed by Giri.
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Hotels and motels across Massachusetts are being used to house families under the state’s emergency shelter system. That system has been at capacity for months. As of Wednesday, 7,541 families were enrolled in it. More than 3,800 were staying at hotels and motels, according to state data. About half of the people in the emergency shelter system are migrants, state officials have said.
The Dedham ZBA rejected the proposal even after letters of support from community members vastly outnumbered those opposed to the idea. A total of 41 letters of support were submitted to the ZBA ahead of the meeting, as were 15 letters from people opposing the plan.
“I think it sets a positive precedent that Dedham is committed to supporting all of its residents, regardless of how long they have lived in town,” one resident wrote. “It’s important we continue to foster creative thinking when it comes to our unused properties in town. I hate to see buildings sit and continue to deteriorate when they could otherwise be utilized to fill a need in our community.”
Some of those opposed to the idea expressed frustration with a perceived lack of equality regarding which communities have to shoulder the burden of supporting homeless people.
“The disproportionate responsibility placed on Dedham compared to neighboring towns such as Needham and Wellesley is concerning. It feels as though our community is being asked to shoulder an uneven burden, which could hinder the progress we’ve made towards making Dedham a more appealing place for young families and professionals,” a resident wrote to the ZBA.
Chelsea migrant center opens and immediately reaches capacity (Feb. 21)
Migrants staying at an overnight overflow shelter in a converted courthouse in Cambridge now have a new place to spend the daytime hours when it is closed. La Colaborativa, a Chelsea-based immigrant social services organization, opened a day shelter at its headquarters this week.
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The Chelsea shelter, which was funded through a grant from the state’s partnership with the United Way, can accommodate up to 200 people per day, The Boston Globe reported.
That capacity limit was reached on Tuesday, the first day it was open, Boston 25 News reported.
The day shelter will be open for four months, during weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The need for it was made apparent earlier this month, when migrants staying at the courthouse told the Globe how they spent their days wandering aimlessly as they waited for their work permits to be approved and for the courthouse to open again in the evening.
Those staying at the Chelsea shelter are eager to take English classes and find jobs, the Globe reported. Case workers are working with them to help with applications for housing programs, work authorization forms, and with finding job opportunities. The workers also assist in connecting the migrants to healthcare services.
Maodlin Clement came to Boston with his wife and children. He has experience as a carpenter, but needs a federal work permit before he can apply his skills here. Clement told the Globe that the Chelsea shelter and those working there already made him feel more welcome.
“They gave us hope, [and] no one else has given us hope,” Clement told the paper in translated Haitian Creole. “I’ve been here for two months, and no one has ever come up to us and told us they were going to help us look for jobs, housing.”
Dedham considers catering license to feed migrants housed at hotels (Feb. 21)
Hotels and motels across the state are being used to help bolster the state’s overburdened emergency shelter system. One of those is the Fairfield Inn by Marriott Boston Dedham, which is currently hosting migrants and other homeless families. Now, a management company associated with a shuttered restaurant is reportedly looking to convert its kitchen into a catering facility that would help feed those staying at the hotel.
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Representatives of Giri Hotel Management are set to appear before the Dedham Zoning Board of Appeals Wednesday to request a special permit for the conversion, The Boston Herald reported. They hope to receive permission to create a “kitchen-only” facility at the former Victory Grille restaurant.
If approved, the operation could provide meals for the approximately 400 people living at the hotel and about 400 other “off-site” individuals, according to the Herald.
Residents are reportedly divided over the measure. Most of those who submitted letters included with the special permit application approve of the project, according to the Herald. But in some letters, residents said they were against the idea because it could further incentivize migrants to come to Dedham and because the town’s emergency services and schools are already strained under the present circumstances.
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