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Governor: shelter capacity strained, urges Congress to act as rally asks for extended stays
Summary
Responding to a rally request to extend shelter stays, the governor called the situation 'heartbreaking,' said Massachusetts has limited capacity, noted the state processed nearly 4,000 people for work and emphasized priority for vulnerable families while calling on Congress to address root issues.
A reporter noted a rally earlier that asked the governor to extend shelter stays; the governor described the situation as ‘‘heartbreaking’’ and said the state has limited emergency shelter capacity.
In the transcript the governor noted policy steps already taken locally and at the state level, including establishing a cap and a wait list, and efforts to process new arrivals for work: ‘‘we've processed nearly 4,000 people who are working, right now in health care, hospitality, in factories manufacturing around the state,’’ the governor said. The governor framed the larger problem as driven by federal inaction and called on Congress to change policy.
The governor said the state has prioritized families and people with specific vulnerabilities and that the administration has proposed a housing bond to create more housing across the state. No change to shelter-stay policy was announced at the event; the governor said the state will focus on shoring up the emergency shelter system and working with cities, towns and service providers.
