Boston tops Massachusetts cities and towns hosting migrant, local homeless families in shelters

Boston ranked top among the 100 Massachusetts municipalities playing host to migrant and local homeless families living in shelters paid for by the state, according to recently released data.

A report released earlier this week by the Gov. Maura Healey administration shows the hub had 1,308 families living in emergency assistance shelters as of Dec. 12. Boston far outpaced the second place city of Worcester, which had 303 families, according to the data.

Families are housed in traditional shelter sites, hotels and motels, and temporary locations like military bases, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and the Executive Office of Administration and Finance said in a report that also outlined financial challenges the shelter system faces in fiscal years 2024 and 2025.

“The shelter system has reached capacity at 7,500 families, and at that level, requires additional funding to avoid imminent run-out dates for key programs,” the report said.

The state reported 7,505 families in the shelter system as of Friday, with 3,817 in hotels and motels, 3,635 in traditional shelters, and 53 in temporary locations. Just over 3,500 families entered the emergency shelter system as migrants, refugees, or asylum seekers as of Dec. 12, according to the report.

Springfield came in third among the municipalities hosting homeless families with 282 living in shelters within the city. Lynn had 280 and Marlborough had 193, putting them in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Holyoke, Peabody, Woburn, Brockton, and Lowell made up the rest of the top ten cities and towns hosting families in shelters, according to the report. Cambridge, where a shelter opened Friday for up to 70 families, had 34 families as of Dec. 12.

The Healey administration also projected spending $915 million on shelters and associated services in fiscal year 2025 while laying out a proposal to cover a massive budget gap of $224 million in fiscal year 2024.

Officials said the average length of stay for families in the system exceeds one year.

“That means that even with the system’s capacity level established, deficiency needs for (emergency assistance) are a two fiscal year problem, requiring a solution that spans fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2025,” the report said.

Gov. Maura Healey proposed using $700 million in surplus revenues leftover from the pandemic to plug the budget gap this fiscal year, invest in housing production and preservation, and cover shelter costs in fiscal year 2025.

“When combined with the recently passed $260 (million) in supplemental budget funding, and the established system capacity levels, this plan covers the full projected fiscal year 2024 deficiency and more than half of expected fiscal year 2025 costs,” the report said, referring to a spending bill Healey signed into law earlier this month.

Top 20 cities and towns hosting homeless families in shelters as of Dec. 12

* Boston: 1,308 families

* Worcester: 303 families

* Springfield: 282

* Lynn: 280 families

* Marlborough: 193 families

* Holyoke: 177 families

* Peabody: 177 families

* Woburn: 173 families

* Brockton: 168 families

* Lowell: 168 families

* Taunton: 167 families

* Salem : 162 families

* Dedham: 160 families

* Framingham: 158 families

* Stoughton: 152 families

* Bourne: 130 families

* Chicopee: 123 families

* Everett: 107 families

* Westborough: 105 families

* West Springfield 104 families