As a new migrant shelter is set to open in Boston‘s Fort Point neighborhood, state lawmakers are making a major decision on how long migrants will be able to stay at that shelter and others like it across Massachusetts.
This is a proposal by House Democrats that would impact the families that will be arriving to the new shelter in Fort Point. Legislators want to add $245 million to the budget, which set to be debated on Wednesday.
The money would only help cover shelter program shortages through the end of this fiscal year and it’s meant to help newcomers.
The proposal also comes with a catch: to limit the time a family can stay in an emergency shelter to nine consecutive months. This comes amid a shelter crisis in the state, with hundreds of families on a waiting list after the system reached capacity in November with 7,500 families – about half of which are migrants, according to Gov. Maura Healey’s office.
This week we’re Taking@Issue with commitment, or the lack thereof. Michigan Democrats are all in for Joe Biden, except for the more than 100,000 voters who chose “uncommitted” in the primary. The Supreme Court decides to weigh in on Donald Trump’s immunity claim. And some residents in Fort Point are angry about the new temporary emergency shelter coming to their neighborhood. Plus, a few tidbits on Mitch McConnell and the $44 million Blue Hill Avenue project.
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House Speaker Ronald Mariano said the proposal includes a $2,500 tax credit for businesses who train people in shelters to help them transition into the workforce.
“If we don’t do something to change this and make it fairer, it’s going to sink under its own weight,” said Mariano.
“We’ve talked about those capacity issues in the past. It’s why I instituted the cap months ago. It’s why we instituted the waitlist. So, I look forward to reviewing what came out of the House,” said Healey.
A family could stay an extra 90 days if someone is employed or in a job training program. Pregnant women and people with disabilities could remain for up to a year.