Massachusetts issues tighter restrictions on access to homeless shelter system

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey unveiled new restrictions Tuesday on the state’s homeless family shelter programs.

Beginning Aug. 1, families that are not prioritized for placement in emergency assistance shelters will be eligible to stay at overflow sites for just five days.

Healey said she was tightening restrictions on emergency assistance system eligibility because of the system’s “continuing capacity constraints” and the need to protect its financial sustainability — in part due to the influx of migrants to the state.

Families will be prioritized for placement in emergency assistance shelters if they have been made homeless by a no-fault eviction or by sudden or unusual circumstances beyond their control, such as a flood or fire. They will also be prioritized if at least one family member is a veteran, Healey said.

Families will also continue to be prioritized if they have significant medical needs or newborn children, or are at risk of domestic violence, she said.

Families that are not prioritized for placement in emergency assistance shelters will be eligible to stay — for just five days — at what the administration refers to as “temporary respite centers.” Such families are currently eligible to stay for 30 days at the overflow shelters and can apply to extend stays. As of Aug. 1, families staying at a temporary respite center will be required to wait six months or more for placement in the emergency family shelter system.

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