Homeless families to be barred from sleeping overnight at Logan International Airport

BOSTON (AP) — Homeless families and individuals will be barred from sleeping overnight at Logan International Airport in Boston beginning July 9, state officials said Friday.

The state has made efforts to open more overflow shelter beds for homeless families, including many newly-arrived migrants who have used the airport as a last resort, said Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey. Shelter stays have been capped, and with more families finding stable housing, the state is now in a position to end the practice of people staying overnight at the airport, said Emergency Assistance Director Scott Rice.

“This is in the best interest of families and travelers and staff at Logan, as the airport is not an appropriate place for people to seek shelter,” Rice said in a statement.

Families sleeping overnight at Logan who are on the state’s emergency assistance shelter waitlist will be offered transfers to the state’s safety-net system, including a Norfolk site that opened this week to accommodate up to 140 families at full capacity.

The number of families leaving shelter has steadily increased over the past few months, with more than 300 families leaving in May – the highest number in years, Rice said. But Massachusetts is still out of shelter space, he said.

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