Experts and readers are at odds over Healey’s emergency shelter cap. Here’s why.

The five-day cap on stays at overflow shelter sites went into effect Thursday. Readers are in support, but immigrant support groups are concerned.

Governor Maura Healey’s five-day cap on overflow shelter site stays for some homeless families took effect on Thursday, garnering support from the majority of Boston.com readers.

But immigrant support groups told Boston.com they were opposed to the decision and sounded the alarm about the unsafe conditions families with children could face as a result.

With the five-day cap in effect, families will be prioritized for placement in Emergency Assistance (EA) shelters if they are homeless because of a no-fault eviction, if they have at least one family member who is a veteran, or if they are exiting a DCF Young Parent Living Program due to age limits.

Families will also continue to be prioritized if they have specific medical needs, are at risk of domestic violence, or are homeless because of fire, flood, or other disasters. If there are no shelter units immediately available, prioritized families will be eligible to temporarily stay at one of the Clinical Safety Risk Assessment sites.

Families who do not fall into the above groups are considered not prioritized for placement in EA shelters and will only be eligible to stay at an overflow shelter site – renamed “temporary respite center” – for up to five business days. Some families could potentially receive up to a month-long extension in specific circumstances.

The state has four temporary respite centers in Chelsea, Lexington, Cambridge and Norfolk. The administration will not be opening additional respite center sites due to operational and financial constraints.

When we asked Boston.com if they agree with the five-day cap, the majority of the 177 respondents to our poll said they support the decision, with just under a quarter of readers against it.

Starting August 1, non-prioritized families will only be able to stay at overflow shelter sites for up to 5 days. Do you agree?

Yes, I agree

77%

137

No, I disagree

23%

40

But when Boston.com asked three immigrant support advocates at leading social service organizations across Greater Boston to weigh in, they all opposed the cap – while also acknowledging the difficult and “impossible” situation the state and many others across the country are currently facing.

‘There’s got to be something better’

Massachusetts’ shelter system has been stretched to its limits for nearly a year due to an influx of migrants starting last fall. In response, the governor began capping the number of families offered a place in the emergency shelter system at 7,500.

The shelter limit was followed by 90-day notices for families to leave the system in July. After the announcement of the five-day limits last week, protestors rallied outside the State House Monday against the cap, saying the change will hurt children and families.

Paul Belfanti, president of the Immigrant Support Alliance, recognized that the state is in a difficult situation, with a shelter system beyond maximum capacity and an ever-growing number of homeless families.

But, he said the decision to cap stays to five days leaves vulnerable families – and children, especially – falling through the cracks, without much of an alternative to sleeping on the streets.

“I don’t pretend to have a solution, but I just feel like there’s got to be something better than what we’ve got on the table right now, ” he said. “At what point are we as a community, in a society, okay with families with children sleeping on the streets at night?”

‘The five-day rule is not practical’

This concern was echoed by Jeffrey Thielman, the president and CEO of the International Institute of New England, one of the oldest and largest social service organizations for immigrants and refugees in the region.

Thielman told Boston.com he not only understands the financial strain the shelter system is putting on the state, but also supported previous measures such as the 30-day recertification requirement and the nine-month length of stay limit by the state.

“However, the five day rule is not practical. People will not have enough time to figure out what they’re going to do next. They’re not going to have enough time, for example, to apply for an employer authorization document, which would allow them to work. And they’re penalized and are not able to get on the shelter waiting list if they spend any time in an overflow shelter,” Thielman said.

Indeed, families who choose to stay at a temporary respite center for five days will be required to wait six months or more for placement in the state’s emergency family shelter system. Thielman said this penalizes families in an emergency situation and is not a solution to the issue.

“An overflow shelter is an emergency situation – you have nowhere else to go, and you need to be safe for the night, and so that’s where you go. To be penalized and not be allowed to be on the waiting list for the emergency shelter system is not a good solution. I don’t find the five day rule to be workable or practical,” he said.

‘They are terrified that a week from now they’re going to be homeless’

Homeless families in Massachusetts are already facing the fear they will be turned out onto the streets to find shelter as a result of the five-day cap, according to Eric Segal, the founder of ArCS Cluster. The organization assists refugees in the communities of Arlington, Cambridge, and Somerville.

Segal is currently hosting a family in his home and told Boston.com they are “terrified that a week from now they’re going to be homeless.”

“It’s certainly going to result in families with young children being forced to sleep on the street,” he said.

As the five-day cap plays out over the course of the month, Segal said Bostonians are likely to see people with young children sleeping outside. He encourages all to “put aside any vestiges of racism and understand that these are people just like us.”

Belfanti, the president of the Immigrant Support Alliance, agreed, emphasizing that the migrants coming to the country and Massachusetts are “not just this abstract ‘invading force,’ quote unquote,” he said.

“People who work with immigrants on a regular basis get to know them as people, and understand how resilient they are, how determined they are,” he said. “They’re just like you and me.”

Below, readers share their thoughts on the five-day cap.

Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.

Non-prioritized families will be able to stay at overflow shelter sites for up to 5 business days. Do you agree?

Yes, I agree

“Limits have to be put on the system. The state and taxpayers are footing the bill for an issue the federal government is ignoring. It’s no longer sustainable and needs to be changed.” – Tom D., Sudbury

“The state cannot afford to shelter people indefinitely.” – Tom, Plymouth

“This system isn’t intended to be used for migrants and is unsustainable. It’s meant for homeless families in Mass.” – Julia, Somerville

“MA is losing citizens and wealth while spending billions on migrants. We are not providing adequate services to longtime MA residents most in need. Our roads are in disrepair, schools are not funded well enough.” – Steve B., Wilmington

No, I disagree

“Making them homeless again will not solve the problem, only push it back out onto the streets.” – Catherine, Stoneham

“Finding affordable housing is next to impossible for families. Limiting their shelter stays will only push families into unsafe situations.” – Kristin L., Seekonk

“There is a shortage of housing and there is no way migrants can find a job and housing in 5 days. At this point, the state needs to reticket people elsewhere and stop accepting into the State. Prioritize your residents and those that are still waiting to find housing. These are unrealistic goals when it takes six months to a year to house a family.” – Nancy, Dorchester

“It’s an injustice and inhumane. You cannot offer and promise aid and then cut families out that have small children with a five day deadline to exit their overflow shelters … they have nowhere to go. No transitional time to allow for them to see what their options are, puts already vulnerable families in even worse circumstances not prioritizing their immediate mental, physical and emotional needs.” – Glen, Winchester