The state is launching its first welcome center for families experiencing homelessness at the Brazilian Worker Center in Boston. It will “serve as a central entry point for families, especially immigrant families, struggling to access basic necessities, connecting them with essential supplies, services, and transportation to a safe place to stay,” according to the Healey administration.
The move comes nine months after GBH News first reported growing numbers of immigrant families were arriving at local emergency rooms. The goal, according to Brazilian Worker Center executive director Lenita Reason, is to get families who need housing support — not medical treatment — out of ERs.
“We’ve seen a steady rise in shelter demand due to the rising cost of housing, more families arriving in our nation and our state from other countries, and delayed federal work authorizations,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a release. She called the need “unprecedented” and said her office is working with local and federal authorities on “long-term solutions to this crisis.”
Those who need a place to stay will, for now, be directed to the Joint Base at Cape Cod, where the National Guard is making space for 60 families. Ronnie Millar, the director of strategic initiatives at the state’s Office for Refugees and Immigrants, called it a “very temporary” solution.
The Brazilian Worker Center in Allston is a social services organization with a long history of working with immigrants. Reason said the organization has been working with the state and city of Boston to help 50 new migrant families with essentials at Boston Medical Center’s emergency room and in area hotels. Her organization assisted families with food and necessities, and helped them get to hotels around South Bay, Natick and Randolph.
“The governor of the state asked if we could extend service we were doing a little more,” Reason said. “Instead of having new arrivals coming to ER, to go directly to the center.”
While the services are “not exclusively” for immigrant families, Millar said the state has seen an increase in families coming to the commonwealth.
“This has been a steady increase, you know, it all depends on what's going on at the border, and in relation to Title 42,” he said. Title 42 is a public health restriction that shut down most avenues for migrants to seek asylum in the United States, and allowed Border Patrol to turn away many immigrants at the border. It ended on May 11. The number of migrants crossing the border has dropped since, but the federal government says it is unclear if that will increase after the rain months are over in Latin America.
Turmoil in Haiti has sent growing numbers of Haitians out of the country, as well. Reason says that many of the families she’s met are Haitian, similar to what other service providers have told GBH News.
Families who need support will go through intake services for the Joint Base and will be provided with necessities like food, baby formula and diapers. In the coming weeks, the welcome center will expand to include coordination with health services , helping with enrollment in Department of Transitional Assistance programs and MassHealth.
The administration intends to open additional welcome centers in other parts of the state.
Healey will activate 50 members of the Massachusetts National Guard to support the humanitarian operation at Joint Base, similar to what then-Gov. Charlie Baker did when migrants were sent north by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to Martha’s Vineyard from Texas with no warning.
The first group of 14 families will be arriving at the welcome center later today, and then move on to Joint Base of Cape Cod. It will soon expand to support 60 families in coordination with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll called the Joint Base operation a “temporary solution,” but said the administration is working hard to ensure families have a safe place to stay.
Reason said the state’s new Office for Refugees and Immigrants has been prioritizing the needs of migrants in the few weeks since they’ve been appointed.
