BOSTON (WHDH) - A change of plans is underway in the state response to the ongoing shelter crisis as some migrant families currently living in hotels are set to move into different hotels by the end of the month.
With a total of 10 current shelter locations scheduled to close, the plan has drawn mixed reactions.
Some migrant parents and children have been living in hotel rooms since coming to Massachusetts. The arrangement, though, was never meant to be permanent and on Wednesday, the state’s emergency assistance director said it is time to relocate families.
“We are now in a position where we can transition some of these sites into new, larger sites to facilitate better coordination and delivery of wraparound services,” said Emergency Assistance Director General Scott Rice.
One advocacy group told 7NEWS the current plan is to move roughly 250 families from their current shelter spots in Woburn, Arlington and Billerica.
The state has bought out entire hotels that migrant families will move into.
7NEWS approached Gov. Maura Healey at an event Wednesday to ask how the plan will work. She did not stop to answer.
Speaking, in the meantime, International Institute of New England President and CEO Jeff Thielman shared his thoughts.
“The communication has been poor,” he said. “ — poor in terms of explaining the rationale for the move and poor in terms of telling families ‘You’re going to be taken care of, there’s going to be support for you, there’s going to be a plan in place to make sure your transition goes well.’ That has not happened.”
The International Institute helps migrants with legal services and benefits. Thielman said he is concerned about the disruption to families under the new state plan.
“They’re moving children and these children are in school and they’re learning and to disrupt them in the middle of the school year is hard on families,” he said.
Under law, homeless students can stay in the school they’re enrolled in, even if they move. Thielman, though, said that is not easy, either.
“You’re living a half hour or more away,” he said. “So, you’ve got to take a bus or a van or some sort of transportation to and from school everyday and it’s gonna make your school day very long.”
Thielman continued, saying some migrant families are getting medical care or jobs where they’re currently living.
“It sends a bad message to employers,” he said. “Employers are saying ‘Wait a minute, why should we hire these folks if they’re just gonna move?’”
“It sends a bad message to these folks who are like ‘I did what the state told me to do. I went and got a job and I tried to make some money. Now they’re moving me somewhere else,’” he added.
While state officials eye next steps, migrant advocates say this is not a solution to a problem. Rather, advocates say migrants need to get jobs so they can pay for a place to live.
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