It’s generated too much demand, it’s too expensive and, some would say, it’s not benefiting those it was meant to benefit. It’s the state’s Right to Shelter law, which sat quietly on the books for decades.
And then came 2023 — when thousands of migrants moved to Massachusetts and took advantage of the law — which mandates housing for homeless families and pregnant women.
Last fall, Governor Maura Healey finally capped the number of families in emergency housing at 7,500. The system has been running at full capacity now for a year. In fact, the state Department of Housing and Livable Communities tells Boston 25 News there are 278 families on the waitlist for housing.
At a State House meeting Tuesday, the Emergency Assistance Commission, chaired by Lt. Gov Kim Driscoll, continued its discussion about reforming the Right to Shelter law. The main reason: it’s expensive. It’s estimated that during Fiscal Year 2024, the state will spend more than $1 billion to uphold the law — some of that going to hotels, where about half the migrants live.