The Democrat Governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, has warned the state no longer has the resources nor space to house migrants in its emergency shelter system. The Bay State is expected to reach maximum capacity within the next two weeks.
“We are not ending the right-to-shelter law… We are being very clear, though, that we are not going to be able to guarantee placement for folks who are sent here after the end of this month,” Governor Healey stated during a recent press conference.
“I want to assure you that we will continue to engage, assess, and serve every family who appeals for help as best we can,” she added.
The number of families housed in the state’s shelter system has doubled over the past 12 months to 7,000. The total number of people in the accommodation is now above 21,000, 50 percent of whom are migrants. Massachusetts officials expected those figures to exceed 7,500 families comprising 24,000 people by the end of the month.
The Bay State has become increasingly attractive to a large number of migrants as it is the only state required by law to provide shelter to homeless families following the implementation of the 1983 “right-to-shelter” law.
Last month, Governor Healey was forced to declare a state of emergency and deploy the state’s national guard to assist in dealing with the recent influx of migrants into Massachusetts.
