Additional Coverage:
- Homeless families to be barred from sleeping overnight at Logan International Airport (newsbreak.com)
In a recent announcement from state officials, beginning July 9, Logan International Airport in Boston will no longer serve as an overnight refuge for homeless families and individuals. The decision comes as Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey’s administration has increased the availability of overflow shelter beds to accommodate homeless families, including many recent migrants who have found themselves relying on the airport for shelter. According to Emergency Assistance Director Scott Rice, with a notable rise in families transitioning into stable housing and the implementation of a cap on shelter stays, the state can now discontinue the practice of overnight stays at the airport.
Rice emphasized that staying at Logan does not serve the best interests of families, travelers, or airport staff, highlighting the inappropriateness of the airport as a shelter solution. For those families found sleeping at Logan and currently awaiting emergency shelter, the state plans to offer transfers to its safety-net system, notably mentioning a new facility in Norfolk that has recently opened to support up to 140 families when at full capacity.
Despite a significant increase in families moving out of shelters—with May seeing over 300 families finding housing, marking a significant peak—Massachusetts still faces a shortage of shelter accommodations. Rice advised families coming to Massachusetts to have alternative housing arrangements, as reliance on Logan Airport or emergency assistance shelters is no longer viable.
In proactive measures to address the ongoing housing crisis, Gov. Healey’s administration has engaged with border assistance organizations like Catholic Charities and the Interfaith Welcome Coalition.
Led by Rice, the team aimed to provide these organizations with recent data on Massachusetts’ limited shelter availability. Efforts to disseminate this information will continue, employing flyers in English, Spanish, and Haitian-Creole to make the realities of Massachusetts’ housing situation clear—including high average rent costs and the state’s challenging climate conditions.
This civic action coincides with a Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to enforce laws against public sleeping by homeless individuals. The Supreme Court decided that such bans do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, affirming the decision along ideological lines, particularly in areas of the West Coast grappling with shelter shortages.