Photo: Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
BOSTON (State House News Service) - A U.S. Department of Homeland Security team ventured to Massachusetts this week for a two-day visit, prompted by the ongoing emergency shelter crisis and the significant number of new migrant arrivals.
Senior officials from Gov. Maura Healey's office are coordinating the visit, and the administration had been requesting the Biden administration to put personnel on the ground for weeks. Healey continues to press for additional federal funding to help ease pressure on Massachusetts and for the federal government to expedite work authorizations for new arrivals, which she says will help them leave shelters.
"Our administration welcomes the opportunity to show officials from the Department of Homeland Security the extremely difficult situation we are facing and discuss badly-needed support," Karissa Hand, a Healey spokesperson, said in a statement Wednesday. "Congress needs to act on President Biden's $4 billion supplemental request which would make available some funding for cities and states. We will continue to advocate for more funding in addition to that and changes to the work authorization process."
Some 6,905 families were enrolled in the Massachusetts emergency assistance shelter system as of Wednesday, according to a spokesperson from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC). That compares to the more than 6,300 families one month ago -- and a 6,820 family tally as of Friday, which was discussed during a Public Health Council meeting Wednesday morning.
New arrivals represent about half of the state's caseload, the spokesperson said.
About 3,630 families are living in traditional shelters, while 3,170 are staying in hotels or motels, according to the latest data. Almost 110 families are staying at temporary emergency shelters at Joint Base Cape Cod and Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, according to the EOHLC spokesperson.
Assuming an average family size of three, there's "well over" 20,000 individuals living in emergency shelters throughout Massachusetts, though that "conservative" estimate does not take into account family members who have yet to enroll in the system or are unable to do so, said Elaine Fitzgerald Lewis, director of the Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition at the Department of Public Health (DPH).
DPH Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein said the department has activated its incident command structure, which incorporates representation from all bureaus. Goldstein emphasized that newly arrived individuals are residents of Massachusetts and are a "part of the constituency" served by DPH.
"We are making sure that not only are we responding to the situation that is unfolding every day with new residents and new families coming into the commonwealth, but that we're integrating those efforts into all aspects of the department," Goldstein said at the Public Health Council meeting. "All of our programming is being extended to those that are experiencing homelessness and migrants that are coming into the state as we really ramp up what we call the emergency phase of the response to address the immediate needs of those that are coming in right now."
As part of an informational presentation delivered to the council about the bureau, Lewis said migrant families at hotels are facing challenges, including language barriers and poor phone reception or background noise that impedes their ability to use interpreters.
Lewis said "many" hotels are not in walkable areas, and public transportation obstacles can make it difficult for people to access medical appointments. In another "significant" challenge, Lewis said many families don't have primary pediatric providers.
"Immediate access to benefits for many is a hurdle given enrollment processes and varying eligibility requirements," said Lewis, who added access to technology is another big problem. "Food insecurity is a concern, especially for families assigned to a hotel without a provider and where supporters or systems have not yet been established to provide for their basic needs. And finally, availability of culturally appropriate foods that are healthy or can be stored in spaces without refrigerators does become quite burdensome."
Nearly 2,000 families are staying in hotels or motels supported by providers, while 1,080 are supported by National Guard members, according to state data as of Friday.
Sen. John Velis, a National Guard member, has been activated as part of the Healey administration's response to the massive strain on the emergency shelter system, his office told the News Service Wednesday. The Westfield Democrat is restricted in what he can disclose about the National Guard active duty assignment, a Velis aide said.
"During his activation, the Senator’s office remains fully operational and continues to assist with any inquires," Velis's office said in a statement. "After the Senator’s Guard duty shifts, he receives updates from our office and is staying abreast of all issues before the Senate and in his district."
Written By Alison Kuznitz and Chris Lisinski/SHNS
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