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The case for — and against — Gov. Healey's sweeping proposal to tighten shelter rules
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It’s State of the Commonwealth day. Gov. Maura Healey is slated to give the speech for the second time tonight at the State House. Circle back to our website at 7 p.m. for the livestream. (Sure, you could also watch on YouTube, but help a station out!)
Now, to the news:
Seeking shelter: Massachusetts’ “right to shelter” law could be in for some major tweaks, if Healey has her way. The Democratic governor announced Wednesday that she’ll propose perhaps the most sweeping changes yet to the four-decade-old shelter program. The changes would significantly tighten the rules on who is allowed into the state’s shelters and include new requirements for state residency (like sharing paperwork and getting background checks). Read the full story from WBUR’s Beth Healy and Simón Rios for more details on the proposed changes.
- The case for change: In a letter, Healey said the revisions are needed to “ensure the long-term sustainability” of the shelter system, which has seen costs balloon with the influx of new migrants over the last three years. She argued the changes align with the “original intent” of the 1983 law, which was to provide emergency shelter to “needy families with children and pregnant women.” Healey also said the adjustments would improve safety, amid pressure over recent arrests and violent incidents at the shelters.
- The case against: Advocates are concerned the new amount of upfront documentation required will make the system difficult to access for those in crisis. Kelly Turley, the associate director of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, told WBUR’s Lynn Jolicoeur the shelter system originally required families to “check a lot of boxes,” which led to parents and children sleeping in cars, train stations and “other dangerous situations.” In response, State House leaders changed the rules about 20 years ago to give families “presumptive eligibility” while their information was being verified. “That’s been a really important part of the program to make sure that shelter is provided in a timely way,” Turley said, adding that making permanent, long-term changes due to the current emergency would be “unwise” and “harmful to children and parents.”
- What’s next: Healey says the proposed changes will be added to a recently filed spending bill, which already includes a cut to the maximum stay at the state’s emergency shelters, from nine months to six. State House News Service reports Beacon Hill leaders expressed openness yesterday to Healey’s suggestions.
- In related news: WBUR’s Walter Wuthmann reports questions are swirling around the quiet departure of Healey’s ex-shelter chief.
Direct democracy: Voting opened yesterday in Boston’s first-ever round of participatory budgeting — a boring term that means you get to decide how the city spends $2 million. Officials narrowed down over 1,000 resident-submitted ideas last summer to 14 finalists, and any Boston resident over the age of 11 can pick your top five favorites from now to Feb. 15, via the city’s website.
- What are my options? For better or worse, the Greenway tram, a Seaport soccer stadium and the “destroy City Hall” proposals did not make the final cut. Rather, the finalists include more practical projects, like expanding a youth jobs program, adding benches at popular bus stops and planting publicly accessible fruit trees.
Brake for whales — or not: The NOAA is rolling back boating speed limits intended to protect the endangered right whales. The Biden administration was trying to expand the restrictions, but said they don’t have time to implement them before Trump takes office. Environmentalists are concerned the whales will be left vulnerable, as Trump signals a shift away from conservation as a priority.
- However, the course reversal was cheered by Healey, who had said the limits would severely bog down ferry service between the Cape and Islands. Brooke Mohr, chair of the Nantucket Select Board, said the limits would have added nearly an hour to ferry trips and made day trips to the island “virtually impossible.”
Heads up: Expect to see members of the Boston Teachers Union rallying outside schools this morning — the latest and largest demonstration for a new contract with higher wages. According to the union, the pre-class picket is taking place at 116 different schools.
P.S.— Ten years ago this time, we had no idea what was coming. But with the decennial anniversary of the infamous Boston winter of 2015 — aka Snowmageddon — around the corner, we want to reminisce! Share your most memorable moments and photos from that record-breaking winter through this form or reply to this email.
