More than 590 families are on the waitlist for the Massachusetts family shelter system. Recently created overflow sites have space for fewer than half of them. One homeless advocate called the situation 'barbaric.'
Massachusetts has historically been viewed as a model for its unique state-run family shelter system. But in a stark break from the past, many families now find they’ve been deemed eligible for shelter, a rigorous process in itself, yet they remain without a roof over their heads.. Last month, lawmakers ordered the Healey administration to create overflow shelters for waitlisted families. Officials complied and can now provide beds for 195 families.
“It just feels really — I’m trying to think of the best word — barbaric,” said Catherine Ady-Bell, an attorney at the Central West Justice Center, who helps people access state benefit programs. "We see families sleeping outside every single week. I think that in and of itself is an indicator that this problem is beyond terrible."While some of the overflow shelters are hotel rooms or other private accommodations, others offer communal accommodations.
“They're now being yanked away from maybe what is the most stable part of their lives, which is their school, their classmates, their friends,” Ady-Bell said. “And then many of my clients are working — this is the working poor — and they're at risk of losing their jobs, which is totally counterproductive.”
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