Governor Maura Healey
HYANNIS – A State of Emergency has been declared by Governor Maura Healey due to rapidly rising numbers of migrant families arriving in Massachusetts in need of shelter and services and a severe lack of shelter availability in the state.
There are currently nearly 5,600 families or more than 20,000 individuals in state shelters, including children and pregnant women Healey said during her press conference while also speaking about what the state has been doing to help.
“State nonprofit community partners have been working around the clock for months, standing up thousands of new shelter units, family welcome centers in Alston and Quincy, as well as new shelter sites at Joint Base Cape Cod,” Healey said.
The administration recently launched the Immigrant Assistance Services (IAS) program, which provides case management, legal services and other support for families in state shelters.
Even with new programs in place, Governor Healey still believes the issue is headed in the wrong direction and by declaring a State of Emergency, she hopes to get quick responses to aid the situation.
“What this means is I am directing members of my administration to continue to utilize and operationalize all means necessary to secure housing, shelter, health and human services to address this humanitarian crisis,” said Healey.
The state is also working to establish new and innovative pathways for new arrivals to secure work.
The administration also announced that the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and The Boston Foundation have launched the Massachusetts Migrant Families Relief Fund to help ensure that new arrivals in Massachusetts have their essential needs met.
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