Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Gov. Maura Healey yesterday proposed significant changes to the state’s right-to-shelter law, including the imposition of a statutory residency requirement for families and strengthening criminal background checks.
The governor submitted the recommendations in a letter to legislative leaders urging them to include the changes in a supplemental budget bill she filed on Jan. 6.
In light of her evaluation of the right-to-shelter law and regulations, the “operational burdens” on the state’s emergency shelter system, and a lack of federal support or action, the governor said the proposed changes “are appropriate and needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the state shelter system in a way that aligns with the original intent of the law.”
She added that the changes will ensure the safety of the system, support cities and towns in addressing the needs of unhoused families in their communities, and lead to a more fiscally sustainable shelter system.
Proposed changes
Healey’s suggested changes would require all applicants to disclose criminal convictions in Massachusetts or elsewhere, and would codify the current state policy of conducting a CORI check prior to shelter placement.
Anyone seeking emergency assistance shelter would be required to show an intent to remain in Massachusetts, either through independent documentary verification or through three months of physical presence in the state.
Shelter applicants would be required to verify their identity, residency and status with documentation prior to placement.
In order to be eligible, those seeking shelter due to several types of no-fault eviction would be required to demonstrate that the eviction occurred in Massachusetts.
Healey’s proposal would require all family members to show they are U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the U.S., with the “rare exception” for those households that include a child who is a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident.
Healey said the state’s 40-year-old right-to-shelter law was intended to provide housing for families in need, specifically pregnant women and children experiencing homelessness. But over the past three years, thousands of families have been arriving in Massachusetts from other states and other countries, due in part to the promise of shelter.
Over the past year, the administration has taken a series of steps to manage the size and cost of the system, including setting a cap of 7,500 families and implementing length-of-stay requirements. The governor recently announced that the administration will phase out the use of hotels and motels as shelters by the end of 2025.