Hours before a new policy limiting overflow shelter stays to five days went into effect, the Healey administration released new guidelines granting those running shelters the authority to extend a family’s stay by up to a month.
The move came about 48 hours after legislators, providers, and migrants themselves gathered in front of the State House to voice concerns that families with children would be left out on the streets. The fact sheet describing the shift was released Wednesday by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to shelter providers.
The state noted that while families will have only five business days to stay in what will now be called “temporary respite centers,” providers will be “able to issue administrative extensions for families who meet designated criteria” for up to 30 business days.
The administration said this isn’t a change to the policy that the governor announced last week.
“Administrative extensions may be granted for needs, including but not limited to, rehousing plans, delays in transportation, and health-related events,” the document says. “Families who are granted extensions will receive an extension of 5-30 business days depending on the approved reason.”
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The Healey administration also told GBH News that the “only reason an extension of more than 5 days would be granted is if a family has imminent access to housing. Any other reason would receive a one-time, 5-day extension.”
Jeff Thielman, executive director of International Institute of New England, a refugee agency that is contracted to assist in shelters, said that the move is an “encouraging development,” but the organization is still concerned many families will become homeless.
He said he’s curious to know more details about what will happen to families who don’t meet the criteria to stay in respite centers and whether alternative housing will be found for them.
The state has long said that its doors are closed to migrants, and its shelters are at capacity, which is capped at 7,500 families. There are 340 families in multiple overflow sites. There are 753 families on a waitlist for shelter as of July 25.
In Norfolk, where one of the state’s overflow sites is located, Select Board Chair Jim Lehan said the state informed town leaders about the exceptions to the five-day limit just this morning. He said there are 255 people at the Bay State Center right now, and they’re told to expect that number to increase to 405.
“It’s frustrating, we thought we had an understanding of what was happening,” Lehan said.
Still, he said operations at the overflow site will not change, and the town doesn’t expect the guidance to affect schools or cause unexpected student enrollments.
“We still don’t anticipate any enrollments in the school. I won’t say it’s impossible, but we don’t anticipate it,” Lehan said.
The state’s guidance says families currently in the four overflow shelters have been informed of the changes, and will be notified of their exit dates on or after Thursday. Providers will give families no less than 6 days notice of their exit date. Discharge will be based on the family’s date of arrival.
“It is a really challenging situation,” Healey said on Boston Public Radio Wednesday afternoon. “In Massachusetts, we are kind and a generous people. We are also full here.”
The guidance notes that the emergency assistance program continues to see demand beyond the fiscal and operational capacity of the system.
Only families with children and pregnant individuals with no other children can be eligible for placement in emergency shelter.
“I do think for everyone’s sake, that details like this should have been provided far sooner than today,” said Andrea Park, an advocacy director at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, which co-organized a recently rally against the policy change. She said that while she’s glad the guidance is now out to providers, people on the ground need “far more details.”
And she said the new guidelines do not seem to solve the fundamental problem.
“It may be a softening of policy — it will be a good thing for the people who do need that additional time,” she said. “But the end result will still be families out with no place to go.”
Greater Boston Legal Services said last week that the organization was considering litigation to reverse Healey’s decision to cap shelter stays.
Marilyn Schairer contributed to this story.
