By Bob Katzen
The House 121-33, approved and sent to the Senate a supplemental budget that includes $245 million for the Emergency Assistance Program that funds the emergency family shelter system which houses migrants.
The measure limits the maximum length of stay to nine consecutive months and an additional three months for those currently employed or enrolled in a job training program. The bill allows some families or individuals, including veterans, pregnant women, victims of domestic violence and people with a disability to be eligible for 12 consecutive months.
Other provisions keep in place some pandemic-era programs, set to expire, in place including allowing restaurants to sell beer, wine and cocktails for take-out and expanding outdoor dining.
“Ensuring that people exit the shelter system in a timely manner is crucial to the emergency assistance program’s long-term viability,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “This is the current reality due to the status of the migrant crisis, the lack of federal support, the number of people on the waitlist and the revenue challenges facing Massachusetts. It’s also critical that we ensure that folks in the shelter system receive ample support aimed at helping them to successfully enter the workforce, which is exactly what this legislation does.”
“Since the beginning of the migrant crisis, we have attempted to uphold the
commonwealth’s right to shelter law while also being mindful of the long-term fiscal sustainability of the program,” said House Ways and Means Chair Rep. Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston). “The reforms contained in this proposal will ensure that right to shelter is maintained by capping the length of stay while also refocusing the emphasis on workforce development. By concentrating on job training, we can focus on getting migrants the job skills they need while also enhancing the commonwealth’s economic output.”
“By committing an additional $245 million in state funding to cover the ongoing costs of providing emergency housing to migrants, [the bill] does nothing but throw more taxpayer money at the problem without addressing the underlying causes driving up the program’s costs,” said House Republican Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “If you factor in the $325 million that was included in the fiscal year 2024 budget and the $250 million added through the supplemental budget that was approved in December, the state has now committed over $820 million to the Emergency Assistance Housing Program in fiscal year 2024 alone, with no end in sight. This money drain is already crowding out other priorities in the budget and has created a financial situation that is simply unsustainable without implementing meaningful reforms to the program.”
“To the credit of Democratic House leaders, the bill did propose several new limits to migrant housing stays in an effort to curtail expenses,” said Rep. Steve Xiarhos (R-Barnstable). “However, in my opinion, these new limits don’t go far enough and the bill is fiscally irresponsible. Our state very simply cannot afford to continue paying these ever-mounting expenses.”
(A “Yes” vote is for the budget. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Christine Barber Yes Rep. Mike Connolly No Rep. Paul Donato Yes Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven No