Massachusetts
90-day notices going out to families in Mass. emergency shelters
BOSTON (WPRI) — A nine-month cap on families entering Massachusetts’ emergency shelter system will soon go into effect, after the state reported an influx in migrants over the last year.
On Wednesday, Gov. Maura Healey announced 90-day notices will start going out to families in the shelter system in July. The administration plans to limit the number of notices to 150 families a week.
Massachusetts is the only state in the country that has a right to shelter law, which was established in the 1980s to offer shelter to families and pregnant women.
But over the last year, the Healey administration said it has seen an increase in migrants, many from Haiti who are fleeing violence. Hotels, airports, and even a prison have all been identified as temporary housing for migrants entering the state.
In the fall of 2023, Healey announced a cap on the number of families in the emergency shelter system, at 7,500.
Still, families remained on the waiting list, leading to a push for a cap that reached the State House. In April the General Assembly passed a nine-month limit on families in the shelter system.
On Wednesday, the Healey administration laid out the the policy affecting all families within the emergency shelter system, about half of whom are homeless Massachusetts families, according to the governor’s office.
“This policy is a responsible measure to address the capacity and fiscal constraints of our state’s emergency assistance system,” Healey wrote in a statement Wednesday.
Families will be able to apply for up to two 90-day extensions, which can be granted for reasons ranging from having a baby to being in a job-training program. People can also apply for a hardship waiver.
Wednesday’s announcement also gave insight into how many migrants have received work authorizations, a challenge Healey has repeatedly called on the federal government to address.
According to the press release, 3,716 immigrants have applied for work authorizations since November and “it is expected the vast majority have been approved.”
The administration also announced progress in helping people exit the shelter system. According to data provided by the state, the number of families leaving Massachusetts went from 168 in November to 331 in May.
The nine-month policy is expected to remain in effect until the number of families in the shelter system gets below 7,500.
Kate Wilkinson (kwilkinson@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.
When Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is informed of the latest scandal, indictment, or attempted billion-dollar bid-rigging etc., she inevitably claims to be as astonished as everyone else.
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A teenager was pulled from a pond in Milton, Massachusetts, after he went missing while swimming Saturday night.
The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office said the teenaged male was taken to a Boston area hospital following the incident at Houghton’s Pond. It’s unclear how long the teen was under water, and there was no immediate word on his condition.
State police had said earlier that they responded to the pond shortly after 7 p.m. for a person who entered the water and didn’t resurface. State police divers, detectives, troopers, and the Milton Fire Department were all on scene involved in the search.
The DA’s office is conducting an investigation with state police that remains ongoing. Further information is not being released at this time.
This story will be updated when we learn more
A Massachusetts man is facing multiple charges for allegedly engaging in inappropriate communications and exposing himself to children.
Orate Kyle Graham, 20, of Bridgewater, was arrested this week on two counts of disseminating obscene material to a minor and one count of accosting or annoying another person.
Bridgewater police said they were made aware Tuesday of allegations involving interactions between several girls age 12 and 13 and an individual known to them only as “Jay.” The individual said he was 17 years old during conversations with the girls through FaceTime and in person.
Through an investigation, police identified “Jay” as Graham, and also found that he had regularly engaged in interactions with the minor victims. During those interactions, he allegedly exposed himself and asked the girls to expose themselves to him.
He was arrested Thursday and taken to the Plymouth County House of Correction, where he was held on $25,000 bail. The case remains under investigation by Bridgewater police and the Plymouth District Attorney’s Office.
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