BOSTON — On Wednesday, the governor of Massachusetts said that most of the time, all members of a family living in emergency shelters would have to be legally in the country. This is a stronger statement from her than before, as safety concerns are raised at the shelters.
Democratic Gov. Maura Healey also wants to make background checks for people staying at the shelter stronger by showing records of criminal charges in the state and other places. Her plan would make applicants prove who they are, where they live, and their position before they could be housed. At the moment, people who want to live in a shelter can be kept without having to show any paperwork. It would only cover people who were kicked out in that state, not anywhere else in the country.
According to Healey, these changes are needed to make sure that the state shelter system will last for a long time in a way that is in line with what the law was meant to do from the start. Additionally, these suggested modifications will help us keep our system safe, assist cities and towns in meeting the needs of homeless families in their areas, and lead us to a shelter system that can better handle its finances…