Massachusetts to begin denying shelter beds to homeless families, putting names on a waitlist

By STEVE LeBLANC
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — The number of homeless families seeking emergency shelter in Massachusetts is nearing a 7,500-family threshold, past which Democratic Gov. Maura Healey says the state can no longer guarantee shelter. It will instead place families on a waitlist, prioritizing those with the highest needs. Healey says she doesn’t want to see families on the street but that the state has reached its shelter capacity. The spike in demand is being driven in part by a surge of migrant families entering the state. Homeless advocates warn that denying families shelter could force some into unsafe living conditions.