Connect with us

Massachusetts

Advocates for those in Massachusetts shelters ask governor to rescind limit as time runs out

Published

on

Advocates for those in Massachusetts shelters ask governor to rescind limit as time runs out


BOSTON – Advocates for the homeless brought their message straight to the office of Gov. Maura Healey Thursday, delivering a petition, as they implored her to rescind a new policy that allows some families only five days to stay in the state’s four emergency overflow shelters in Lexington, Chelsea, Norfolk and Cambridge.

Families have nowhere to go

“We’re very concerned that families who have no place else to go will be left on the streets, in transit stations, in cars,” said Kelly Turley with Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless. Advocates said migrant and homeless families are already in these shelters because they have no other options.

WBZ-TV spoke to a mother of two who has been living for a month at an overflow shelter at the Cambridge Registry of Deeds.  She said she has no other family and after Friday, does not know where she’ll go. Tim Scalona, whose own family was forced into the shelter system for years when he was a child knows all too well the insecurity especially felt by children. He attended the State House rally Thursday.

“The system, sort of, creates a lot of questions about why is this happening to me, will I have this shelter for a long period of time, will I continue to have food,” said Scalona.

Advertisement

Healey says families are still being helped

Some families have been given extensions under certain circumstances, such as applying for jobs or looking at housing options.  Others have been given tickets for transportation out of Massachusetts, which Jeff Thielman of the International Institute of New England said is a harsh and unrealistic solution.

“The message really is go back to where you came from,” said Thielman. “It can’t be Haiti, that’s not realistic, if it’s the Texas border I don’t think that’s realistic.”

Healey maintained the shelter capacity is overwhelmed but insists families are still being helped and treated humanely. “What’s happening right now is case managers are on site continuing to work with families, to relocate families, and that’s going to continue,” said Healey.

The advocates believe the state needs to give the shelter system more time to transition families out rather than force them out as time is now running out.

Advertisement



Source link

Massachusetts

‘No way to leave’: Mass. families stuck in Middle East amid war in Iran

Published

on

‘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.”

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

“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.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Massachusetts

Snow, ice, rain to impact roads in Massachusetts – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

Published

on

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.

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox
Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Massachusetts

Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks

Published

on

Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks




Massachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks – CBS Boston

Advertisement














Advertisement



























Advertisement

Advertisement

Watch CBS News


Poya Sohrabi hasn’t heard from his family since they took shelter from attacks in Tehran. WBZ-TV’s Mike Sullivan reports.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending