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.
Massachusetts
‘No way to leave’: Mass. families stuck in Middle East amid war in Iran
Massachusetts families are stuck in the Middle East amid the war in Iran, and Democratic Sen. Ed Markey says the State Department needs to do more to get them home.
The Trump administration is telling Americans to leave the region, and families would love to, but they haven’t been able to get out.
Stacey Schuhwerk of Hingham has been sheltering in place in a Doha hotel since Saturday.
“We hear the missiles outside,” she said. “We can see them.”
The Hingham mother and her son are among nearly 1,600 Americans trapped in the Middle East with no way to get home.
“Airspace is shut down. There’s no planes,” said Schuhwerk. “There’s no way to leave.”
Flights between Boston and the Middle East are canceled or delayed as travelers express anxiety over the conflict.
At first, U.S. officials told people to shelter in place and register with the State Department — something Schuhwerk did days ago.
“There’s no help there. The last time we called was 20 minutes ago, and they continue to say that ‘We don’t know anything about any plans for government help to get people out,’” she said.
Embassies and consulates across the region — including the U.S. Embassy in Israel — have now suspended services, saying they simply can’t get Americans out.
“They did not have a plan to conduct this war, and they clearly did not have a plan as to how to evacuate innocent families,” Markey said.
The senator says his office is hearing from Massachusetts families, and he’s pressuring the Trump administration to come up with an evacuation plan fast.
“We are going to apply that pressure on the State Department until every American who wants to leave that region is out,” he said.
Back in Doha, Schuhwerk keeps watching the war outside her window.
“The talk here is ‘How much defensive ammunition’s left?’ Good question, you know, because the missiles aren’t stopping,” she said. “So how long are we going to be safe here?”
With no clear end to this conflict, she’s worried she could be stuck there for weeks.
Massachusetts
Snow, ice, rain to impact roads in Massachusetts – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
Happy Tuesday! While today started off dry, we’re already looking at snow out there across the area. While this event will primarily stay as rain on the Cape and islands, it will be an icy mix of snow, ice and rain for the rest of us.
The rain/snow line will continue to advance from the south to the north as the evening progresses. Before the changeover, there will be a quick coating to 2 inches for most of our area.
The threshold between the snow and rain will feature sleet and freezing rain, leading to that icing.
For the rest of the night, there will primarily be rain with continued pockets of freezing rain, leading to increasing spotty ice accretion. Be extremely careful on roads, especially since switching between rain and freezing rain can wash off any road salt.
The rain and freezing rain will exit by 6 a.m. Wednesday, but temperatures will still be close to freezing during the morning commute, so watch out for some spotty black ice.
The rest of Wednesday will be really nice! Highs will warm up to the mid 50s with the help of ample sun.
Thursday we start off in the mid 20s and top off in the mid 40s. We’ll be partly sunny with another chance for some wintry weather Thursday night. This primarily looks like some rain and freezing rain, rather than the triple threat with snow too. We’ll keep an eye on that for you.
That will continue into Friday morning. The rest of Friday: cloudy with a chance for a spot shower and highs cooler again in the upper 30s. Saturday will be dry, breezy and cloudy but gorgeous near 50 degrees! There’s a chance for some rain showers Saturday night. Don’t forget to set your clocks forward an hour before you to go bed!
Sunday we start the day mild in the 40s and make it all the way into the upper 50s with more sun. Monday and Tuesday both look bright and in the 60s! Stay tuned.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
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