BOSTON – Gov. Maura Healey on Tuesday said Massachusetts is “out of shelter space” and announced changes that will have a big impact on migrants entering the emergency assistance system, including a new prioritization policy and a five-day stay limit at overflow safety-net sites. 

Prioritizing some evicted residents and veterans

Starting Aug. 1, Healey said Massachusetts will prioritize families for shelter system placement if they became homeless because of a no-fault eviction or other sudden circumstance beyond their control like a flood or fire. Families with at least one veteran will also be prioritized, as will those with significant medical issues, newborn babies, or people who are at risk of domestic violence.

New 5-day stay limit 

Those who are not prioritized for placement will be able to stay at the overflow safety-net sites that are currently in Lexington, Cambridge, the former Chelsea Soldiers Home and an old prison in Norfolk. But those sites will be recategorized as as “temporary respite centers” on Aug. 1, and they will have a five-day stay limit.

Currently, families staying at temporary shelter sites are required to show every month that they are taking steps to find their own housing.

“Families who have been in temporary respite centers prior to the policy change on August 1 will retain their prioritization for placement into EA shelter, and the state will begin helping them leave these sites according to the date in which they entered,” the Healey administration said.  

What happens to migrants in Massachusetts without a place to stay?

Healey said in a statement that the five-day limit is “in line with the policies of other cities facing similar challenges as Massachusetts and will help give families some relief for a few days while they access the diversion services we can provide, such as reticketing.”

Families who decide to stay at a temporary respite center “will be required to wait six months or more for placement in the state’s emergency family shelter system,” the state said.

The Boston Globe reports that the state has offered to pay for plane tickets and other travel expenses for families if they have a place to stay outside of Massachusetts. WBZ-TV cameras recently found that migrants who have nowhere to go were being dropped off by bus at the Wollaston MBTA stop in Quincy.

Healey’s administration on Tuesday touted work authorization clinics that they said have helped 1,300 people in emergency shelters get jobs. It also said the HomeBASE program that offers eligible families up to $30,000 over two years for housing has been expanded. 

Current shelter system “not sustainable”

Healey declared last fall that Massachusetts hit its emergency shelter system capacity of 7,500 families. Earlier in July, the state said migrant families would no longer be allowed to sleep at Boston’s Logan Airport overnight. 

The governor sent a migrant crisis team to the southern border in Texas last month to spread the word that shelters in Massachusetts are full.

“We have been saying for months now that the rapid growth of our Emergency Assistance shelter system is not sustainable. Massachusetts is out of shelter space, and we simply cannot afford the current size of this system,” Healey said. “Our administration has taken significant action over the past year to make the system more sustainable and help families leave shelter for stable housing. But with Congress continuing to fail to act on immigration reform, we need to make more changes.”

Despite limping into the playoffs, the Massachusetts Pirates are one of the eight teams to make the Indoor Football League’s postseason.

The third-seeded Pirates (8-8) will attempt to upset the second-seeded Frisco Fighters (13-3). The teams will clash Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas in a first-round Eastern Conference game.

In its first season in Lowell playing out of the Tsongas Center, Massachusetts looked like one of the best teams in the IFL during the first month.

The Pirates captured a thrilling 44-40 win over a strong Green Bay Blizzard team in its season opener on the road. Green Bay went on to capture the No. 1 seed.

The Pirates followed that up with three straight wins at home to start at 4-0 thanks to victories over the Jacksonville Sharks (26-21), Sioux Falls Storm (49-41) and Iowa Barnstormers (52-29).

But they have been unable to duplicate that magic down the stretch. Massachusetts went 3-5 on the road and ended the regular season with two straight losses. In the Pirates’ last game, they fell 44-22 to the Tulsa, Oilers in their worst loss of the season.

In that game, former Westford Academy quarterback Connor Degenhardt scored a pair of touchdowns.

Massachusetts and Frisco waged a terrific battle in the regular season. On June 1 in Texas, the Fighters held off the Pirates, 52-48.

If the Pirates go on the road and upset Frisco, they will meet the winner of No. 4 Quad City and No. 1 Green Bay, who open the playoffs Friday.

In the Western Conference, No. 3 Arizona will visit No. 2 Vegas on Saturday and No. 4 San Diego will play at No. 1 Bay Area on Sunday.

Future River Hawk

The UMass Lowell baseball program has received a commitment from a talented New York infielder.

Tyler McKillop announced recently on social media his intention to play for head coach Nick Barese and his staff. A 6-1, 180-pound shortstop/third baseman, McKillop is coming off a terrific junior season at Bayport-Blue Point High School.

He hit .377 with a .500 on-base percentage, .492 slugging, 23 hits, 16 RBI, 12 walks and six steals.

New WHS coach

Wilmington High boys basketball players are set to meet their new coach on Thursday.

Former Methuen High coach Anthony Faradie will coach the Wildcat varsity program. He’s considered a very solid hire as he did a terrific job turning around the Rangers in the tough Merrimack Valley Conference.

Faradie lives in Wilmington and works in Medford so changing coaching jobs will certainly help his commute.

Faradie posted a 125-103 record at Methuen, including a 49-29 mark since the pandemic. Prior to coaching in Methuen, he coached six seasons at Medford.

Witkum victorious

The worth was wait it for Westford’s Ed Witkum on Saturday night in North Woodstock, N.H.

In the final race of the night – six divisions were in action – at White Mountain Motorsports Park, Witkum drove to victory to capture the debut of the Little Webb’s 350 Supermodified Series. Witkum wasn’t deterred by a major caution on lap 14 as he led for all 40 laps during a dominating performance.

Another local joined him in the top 10. James Capps III of Tewksbury drove to sixth.

Originally Published: July 23, 2024 at 6:09 a.m.