BOSTON (WHDH) - Activists are speaking out about new restrictions Gov. Maura Healey made to the family shelter system, as people are now limited to stay in certain shelters for five business days.
The Healey-Driscoll administration notified some families that they will have to leave overflow shelters by Friday.
Families not receiving priority status now face five-day limits, and many are migrants. Healey insisted Thursday that she has little other choice.
“I set this policy in place because we’re at capacity, something I’ve been saying for a long time now,” Healey said.
Many migrant advocacy groups have pushed back against the governor and the state’s new policy.
Laurie Millman has spent 16 years trying to find work for migrants.
“I don’t pretend that any of this is easy, but having opened doors to people, to put them out on the street now, is not wise. These are human beings. They have families. They have children,” Millman said.
More than 20,000 people are estimated to be living in Massachusetts shelters, an 80 percent increase from just last year.
Jessica Vaughn is the director of policy studies for the Center of Immigration Studies, which advocates for fewer migrants.
“When that unprecedented illegal migration meets the very generous social safety net that exists in Massachusetts, that is a recipe for overwhelming the system. So it’s not surprising at all to me that they’ve had to make these adjustments,” Vaughn said.
Healey told 7News that staff are working with families at shelters to find alternatives.
“I’ve also said that we’re going to continue to have case managers work with these families. Ultimately, what we’re trying to do is get people working, get people out of shelter,” she said.
Healey has pressed federal officials to expedite work authorizations, which in some cases, can take up to a year.
“And everyone we work with, everyone wants to work. They want to work now. So we’ve tied their hands behind their back. Yes, we put people in shelter and then do not give them legal authorization to work,” Millman said.
But some argue it won’t keep Massachusetts taxpayers from footing the bill.
“Even the groups that do qualify for work permits, and that’s primarily Venezuelans, Haitians, Ukrainians, Cubans, and a few other groups, even if they can find work, they really lack the skills to earn enough an income to support their families,” Vaughn said. “So, they are still going to be dependent on welfare programs and other social services that are provided by taxpayers.”
Healey said the new policy is meant to ensure that the shelters can continue to serve Massachusetts residents, many of whom are victims of domestic violence, natural disasters, and also, the state’s homeless population.
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