Massachusetts is the country’s only right-to-shelter state. Providing this and other generous benefits without requiring prior residency has led to our state’s shelter system becoming completely overwhelmed by the massive influx of migrants coming from the southern border. The drain on state resources and lack of physical space is proving to be a huge problem. Newly arriving migrants continue showing up unannounced, forcing our municipalities to scramble to deal with the consequences.

The state has already spent triple what it budgeted for on the emergency shelter system alone, and Governor Healey’s administration is once again asking the legislature to approve more supplemental spending for this growing issue.

The last time the Governor requested supplemental funding for this issue, the legislature tacked on reporting requirements, but stopped short of adding a residency requirement to access our state’s right-to-shelter benefit. As of now, it doesn’t matter if you have lived in Massachusetts your whole life or arrived hours ago, the right-to-shelter law applies to you.

The legislature and Governor must impose a residency requirement for access to our state’s emergency shelter system. The current law makes us a magnet for migrants flooding over a porous and unsecured southern border and our state simply does not have the resources to deliver on the promise of shelter to all of these people. 

Tell your lawmakers to impose a residency requirement on our right-to-shelter law.