Policy shifts in how Mass. handles its homelessness crisis took effect this week. Advocates have mixed reactions.
Below is an excerpt of an article published by the Boston Globe on December 16. The article discusses changes in policy meant to address the homelessness crisis, with advocates saying new policies are creating confusion and instability, instead of creating sustainable solutions to an urgent crisis. Staff from Greater Boston Legal Services and Massachusetts Law Reform Institute are quoted.
Changes to how Massachusetts is handling its homelessness crisis took effect this week, and the shifts in policy were met with mixed reaction from advocates, some of whom pointedly asked whether the moves were efficient, humane, or even legal.
Last month, state officials said they are creating a new, two-track system for eligible homeless families seeking shelter. In a change that began on Tuesday, authorities are allowing many families to stay for 30 business days in so-called temporary respite centers. The previous cap was five days, which critics lambasted as cruel.
While the change will give some families more time, some advocates said it’s still not nearly enough. Kelly Turley, associate director for the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, said it’s unrealistic to expect many families to be able to exit homelessness into safe, affordable housing in 30 business days.
“Artificial timelines for five days or 30 days — we’re afraid they’re going to set families up for failure,” she said this week.
Under the state’s new approach, there is now a different track, separate from the respite centers, for families seeking shelter who are considered high-risk. Women who have late-term pregnancies or families that include people with intellectual or developmental disabilities will be allowed to stay for months under what state officials called a longer-term “bridge shelter” track.
Read more at the Boston Globe.
