By Bob Katzen
Gov. Healey signed into law a supplemental budget that includes an additional $251 million in funding for the Emergency Assistance Program that funds the emergency family shelter system which houses migrants. The measure imposes a new nine-month limit on how long families can stay in the state’s emergency shelters, with up to two 90-day extensions available to some and a new hardship waiver process.
Provisions include $10 million for approved workforce training programs; $10 million for a tax credit for companies that provide job training to Emergency Assistance participants; $3 million for family welcome centers; $1 million for supplemental staffing at emergency housing assistance program shelters; and $7 million for resettlement agencies and shelter providers to assist families with rehousing, work authorization and English language learning.
Other provisions keep in place some pandemic-era programs, set to expire, including allowing restaurants to sell beer, wine and cocktails for take-out; expanding outdoor dining; and allowing graduates and students in their last semester of nursing education programs to practice nursing.
“This supplemental budget dedicates resources to balance the budget and maintain critical services and programs,” said Gov. Healey. “It also implements a length of stay policy for Emergency Assistance shelter, which is a responsible step to address our capacity and fiscal constraints as Congress has continued to fail to act on immigration reform. We will be finalizing details of this policy in the coming weeks and ensuring that families and providers are informed of the requirements and the services that we have available to help them secure work and stable housing.”
“Gov. Maura Healey, Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka are only focused on spending as much taxpayer money to deal with the migrant crisis,” said Paul Craney, spokesperson for the Mass Fiscal Alliance. “They refused to address the root cause or how the state spends the money. This has resulted in the state spending nearly a billion dollars or about $3 million a day, just on the housing for the migrants. Their attitude toward the problem is reckless and short-sighted. Massachusetts taxpayers cannot continue to afford this crisis and our state leaders are doing nothing to fix it.”