WORCESTER—The Massachusetts House of Representatives recently passed a supplemental budget, allocating $245 million to support the Emergency Assistance Program until the close of Fiscal Year 2024. This budget aims to safeguard the program amidst the state’s current financial challenges by incorporating temporary and permanent measures.
To balance the program’s sustainability with the needs of families, the legislation caps shelter stays to nine months, extendable by three months for those engaged in work or job training. Certain groups, including veterans, pregnant women, domestic violence victims, and individuals with disabilities, may be eligible for up to 12 months of assistance, irrespective of their employment or training status. Additionally, the bill mandates a minimum 90-day notice before the termination of shelter services and limits the number of families exiting to 150 per week.
Despite these measures, concerns persist regarding the housing crisis in Massachusetts, particularly in cities such as Worcester. Ivonne Suarez, division director for Housing for Homeless Families in Worcester, expressed skepticism about the bill’s impact, highlighting the extreme housing shortage.
“In Worcester, we are maxed out,” Suarez told the Worcester Guardian. “We have a lot of families and not enough housing to provide for these families. You can get a family rehoused with HomeBASE and that can last 2-3 years depending on how much funding they get. But often the family can’t afford market rent after that, so they end up being recycled into the system again.”
The bigger the family, the bigger the struggle, too. “There aren’t many 4-bedroom units in Worcester,” she said, “so larger families will have to be in shelter longer and will be less likely to find housing fast.”
Kelly Turley, the associate director of Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, argued limiting shelter stays will do more harm than good and is concerned about the House’s proposal to limit shelter stays.
“Imposing artificial time limits will put vulnerable families, young children, and pregnant people at serious risk of harm,” said Turley, “and will take a disproportionate toll on larger families, people with disabilities, people of color, and other households facing tremendous barriers to securing permanent housing.
Turley said there is also concern about the increased burden these shelter time limits will place on hospitals and clinics, nonprofit agencies, emergency services, and town and city resources.
Friendly House, where Suarez works, is a nonprofit organization that aims to foster independence among its clients by reducing reliance on state aid. “We’re trying to get our clients to have self-sufficiency and live on their own,” she said, “without having to depend on so much aid from the state. We don’t know how long certain assistance programs will be there for them. We try to get them involved in trainings, school, or employment.”
Suarez advocated for more sustainable solutions to the housing crisis. “The main problem we’re seeing in Worcester is finding housing for families. We can get all the services for them and food, but we can’t move these families forward because the supply of housing doesn’t meet the demand.”
She further criticized the bill for not addressing the root causes of housing unaffordability and rampant rent hikes, stating, “I do not think there’s much benefit to this bill, rather I think they need to focus on making housing more affordable and putting a stop to insane rent increases. It’s not feasible to have a family in a shelter for nine months. The average waiting list for regular, non-emergency housing in Worcester is 3-7 years,” Suarez said.
As the bill moves to the Senate for further deliberation, the challenge remains to find a balance between immediate shelter needs and long-term housing solutions for Massachusetts families.
Matt Olszewski is a freelance content and news writer based in Boston, MA. In his free time, Matt enjoys running, hiking or skiing. Matt is currently finishing up the MPH degree program at Tufts University. He can be reached at mattoskier@gmail.com
