The Healey administration is changing who can get prioritized for emergency shelter and cutting stays in its overflow sites to five days.
Why it matters: The administration says the changes will address capacity constraints, lower costs and make the EA system financially sustainable long-term.
- The Norfolk site, which just opened last month, is already nearing capacity.
The big picture: It's the state's latest effort to rein in the shelter system, following nine-month caps for family shelter stays, trips to the U.S.-Mexico border and requests for federal funding.
- The changes also prioritize long-time Massachusetts residents facing calamities, rather than new arrivals fleeing violence and other conflicts in their home countries.
- New arrivals make up roughly half of families in the emergency shelter system, which has cost Massachusetts more than $1 billion last fiscal year.
What they're saying: "Massachusetts is out of shelter space, and we simply cannot afford the current size of this system," Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement.
Zoom in: The state's family emergency shelter system is prioritizing families who are unhoused because of a no-fault eviction or "unusual circumstances" in Massachusetts, including a flood or fire.
- The state will also prioritize families with at least one veteran.
- The system will continue to prioritize families with significant medical needs, newborn children and those at risk of domestic violence, as well as those who are unhoused because of disasters.
- These rules take effect Aug. 1.
Everyone else can stay at an overflow site, which the state is now calling a "temporary respite center," for five days.
- That includes the sites in Chelsea, Lexington, Cambridge and the former prison in Norfolk.
- The state doesn't plan to open more sites, citing operational and financial constraints.
Yes, but: Those who "choose" to stay there have to wait at least six months for shelter placement, according to a news release from Healey's office.
- They will be eligible for HomeBASE and other homelessness diversion services, though many struggle to access HomeBASE benefits.
- Those who are at an overflow site before Aug. 1 will still be prioritized for shelter.
- These new rules do not apply to United Way shelter sites.
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