Advocates press for federal help as Gov. Healey warns state is nearly out of places to shelter homeless families

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Paul Tuthill

Published October 17, 2023 at 11:54 AM EDT

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Gov. Maura Healey, accompanied by newly appointed Emergency Assistance Director Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice, speaks during a news conference at the Massachusetts Statehouse in Boston on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. She warned that the state's emergency family shelter system will reach capacity by the end of the month, and that the system has been expanding at an unsustainable rate to meet the demand from newly arriving migrant families. The arrivals, combined with a slower exit of families already in long term shelter, means the state is on track to hit its capacity of 7,500 families by the end of October. (AP Photo/Steve LeBlanc)

New arrivals could end up on a waiting list

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey warns the “no vacancy” sign will soon go up at the state’s emergency shelter system.

With the surge in migrants and homeless families, Healey said the state is running out of space, social service providers, and money. She said Monday that full capacity of roughly 7,500 families, or 24,000 individuals, will likely be reached by the end of this month. At that point, the state will no longer be able to guarantee shelter for new families.

To find out what the practical impact of this announcement means, WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with Pamela Schwartz, Director of the Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness.