The candidates in the 10th Norfolk District State Representative race agreed to participate in an online debate — responding to questions suggested by Observer readers — in writing, in the Observer. One question and the candidate’s respective responses will be published for a total of seven weeks leading up to the election. Here is question number 3 and Rep. Roy’s response on the “right-to-shelter” law and steps to mitigate a crisis.

3) Regarding, shelter for migrants, many attracted to Massachusetts by an extremely generous ‘right to housing’ law and/or brought to the state with the help of NGOs. What can or should be done to keep this from becoming a real crisis, to protect the state budget, and to protect local towns from the many disruptions this has caused.

Massachusetts has a “right-to-shelter” law, which for 40 years has required state officials to quickly provide shelter and other necessities to homeless parents with children and pregnant women. You can find the text of the law by clicking here and here.

Each day, we in government are called upon to help people who find themselves in difficult situations. My faith and upbringing taught me that we should help others to help themselves and I use that as a foundation in my work. “To whom much is given, much is expected” is another phrase that is also foundational for me and is a reminder that we should use our blessings to help others.

In August 2023, a large influx of migrant families arriving in Massachusetts led to the Governor declaring a state of emergency. We are doing the best we can to address this crisis and here are some of the actions that we took to protect state and local budgets:

Caps, Reforms, and Reporting on Shelter Law: We put caps in place on the number of persons served and we have required the Governor to provide reports and data on her implementation of the shelter program. The Healey administration’s initial shelter report to the Legislature was filed on December 18, 2023. The latest report filed on September 9, 2024 indicates that currently Franklin is housing 90 families and Medway is housing 12. It also shows that 3,929 of the migrants have work authorizations and are receiving appropriate job training. On Tuesday, the Boston Globe reported on the success story for a small human services nonprofit in Marlborough who, for the first time in a decade, has all of its full-time direct-care jobs filled because it was able to hire dozens of new arrivals from three local shelters. The story went on to note:

Since last November, around 3,000 people in the emergency shelter system have landed jobs, according to the state, which recently announced it was expanding job training programs for shelter residents. In all, more than 5,100 migrants have gone through the convoluted process of applying for work authorization.

New arrivals are working in manufacturing, hospitality, food prep and service, retail, senior care, and health care support — assembling parts, stocking shelves, cleaning hospital rooms, and washing dishes. These are the kind of low-wage, physically demanding jobs many Americans aren’t willing to do, employment specialists say.

The legislature also provided targeted funding to support families exiting the shelter system and modified the right to shelter law by putting reasonable limitations on the length of time families can remain in the program. We created a recurrent certification requirement to ensure program participants are complying with eligibility requirements and established a commission to study the future of the shelter program. We also provided funds for workforce training programs and tax credits for companies that provide job training to Emergency Assistance (EA) participants.

Further, we mandated that the Healey administration create a rehousing plan and provide case management for all individuals in shelters to help them successfully exit the program. Beginning June 1, 2024, the total length of stay would be limited to nine months, at the end of which families would be eligible for up to two 90-day extensions. Extensions would be based on circumstances that include employment or participation in a workforce training program, veteran status, imminent placement in housing, avoiding educational interruptions for children in public school, pregnancy or having recently given birth, diagnosed disability or medical condition, a single parent caring for disabled child or family member, a single parent without adequate childcare, and risk of harm due to domestic violence.

Expand Federal Assistance and Reform Federal Immigration Law: The state cannot shoulder the burden alone. Massachusetts is working with federal authorities to secure more financial aid and resources to support migrants. We have also been pushing for changes to immigration laws to slow the influx of migrants, but Senate Republicans, at the urging of Donald Trump, blocked the debate on the bipartisan Border Act (for another story, click here and see the video below), which would have rushed enforcement resources to the border, tightened asylum standards, expedited the removal of those who abuse the asylum system to enter the country unlawfully, and hired more Border Patrol officers. For details on what the bill would have done, click here.

Invest in Long-Term Housing Solutions: Temporary shelters are costly and often strain local resources. A more sustainable solution involves investing in affordable housing initiatives and infrastructure, creating pathways for migrants to become self-sufficient. By addressing the housing shortage in the state, Massachusetts can ease the pressure on emergency shelters. We passed a comprehensive housing bill in July 2024 which addresses this and many other housing issues.

Limit Impact on Local Communities: Towns experiencing disruptions from the influx of migrants need support. The state is providing funds to municipalities for local services such as schooling in the amount of $104 per day for each migrant child in the system. In addition, the state maintains a dashboard with resources and data on the Emergency Assistance family shelter program that you will find by clicking here. I keep in close contact with local officials to address any concerns they may have with the program.

By tightening policies, securing federal support, and focusing on long-term solutions, Massachusetts can mitigate the budgetary and social strain caused by the current shelter system while also serving those in need and protecting local communities.