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.
Half of the city turned out this weekend to celebrate what’s great about Boston — its people.
On sunny or snowy days, Bostonians will help you out. The Tartan Army from Scotland and Norwegian soccer fans witnessed that last week.
This time, the surprise was all local.
“I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” said George Regan, as he gazed at nearly 300 people who showed up for the christening of his son, George Kenneth Regan IV.
“Teach number four to be a really wonderful person and he’ll teach it to number five,” said former Gov. Charlie Baker, who said that’s the secret to life. Baker himself is the fourth Charlie, with a son the fifth. We all stand on those who came before us, the former governor added.
Work will come around soon enough, but Saturday was a celebration that started at St. Gregory Parish in Dorchester and finished with a reception at Davio’s in the Seaport.
Regan, founder and CEO of the Regan Communications Group, welcomed everyone alongside his wife, Elizabeth, and their new baby boy.
Former Mayor Ray Flynn said it best: Reagan has “stood up for people who needed you.”
There’s not enough ink in this paper to chronicle how connections keep Boston thriving. That’s the space where Regan’s PR firm operates. There are plenty of other similar agencies; it’s just that George Regan has been at the helm of his group since he left former Mayor Kevin White’s office.
Maybe that’s what makes dealing with him so rewarding. Kevin White loved Boston, and that rubbed off on everyone who worked for him.
Former police commissioners Bill Bratton and William “Willie” Gross both spoke as did UMass President Marty Meehan, Denella J. Clark, president and CEO of Boston Arts Academy Foundation, Steve DiFillippo, Davio’s owner, and more.
Former Herald editor Ken Chandler, newly reelected Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, and car magnate Herb Chambers were some of the notables in the crowd.
“Elizabeth and I are honored to welcome our miracle child into the faith alongside the remarkable circle of friends, mentors, and partners who have stood with us through every chapter,” said Regan, who was just recently sick.
But, like Boston, you can’t keep a good man down.
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
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