In response to an overloaded emergency shelter system in Massachusetts primarily caused by a significant influx of migrants, Governor Maura Healey has issued an order activating up to 250 National Guard members to provide basic services in these shelters, according to The Boston Globe. State officials have described the Guard's role as providing assistance in emergency shelter hotels that currently lack a contracted service provider. Approximately 40 hotels fall under this category, a number that is expected to rise.
This decision follows Healey's earlier emergency declaration appealing to the federal government and private citizens for help in addressing the strained shelter system, as reported by the Boston Herald. The upsurge of migrants, coupled with a statewide housing crunch, has stretched Massachusetts' emergency shelter system to its limits. Massachusetts is the only state with a "right-to-shelter" law, which guarantees homeless families access to emergency shelters, as noted by NBC Boston.
Deployment of the National Guard members is set to begin next week, with plans to launch “Regional Rapid Response Teams” for overseeing shelter sites and addressing concerns, per Business Khabar. The governor's office has notified both Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and City Council President Ed Flynn of the National Guard's upcoming presence in Boston, the Boston Herald reports. Their presence is aimed at making the provision of services more streamlined and efficient for the families affected.
Additionally, these Guard members will help coordinate services for the families staying at the hotels, including food, medical care, school enrollment, and transportation, according to NBC Boston. Any issues that arise will be escalated to the newly formed rapid response teams composed of state-workers who will coordinate services between municipalities, as reported by NBC Boston. Governor Healey’s activation of the National Guard emphasizes the need for an immediate and efficient response to the ongoing crisis in the state's emergency shelter system.
