The migrant housing situation in the Bay State is now reaching a whole new level of urgency.
The shelter system in Massachusetts is expected to reach capacity at the end of the month, as another New England winter quickly approaches.
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Massachusetts is legally required to house families under the state's Right to Shelter Law, and while Gov. Maura Healey made it clear the state would not violate that, she did say that decisions will have to be made.
"Close to 7,000 families are in emergency shelter," Healey said. "That's more than twice the number of families we were sheltering a year ago."
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The state has set a capacity of 7,500 families — a figure that officials expect to hit by the end of the month.
"Families with high needs, including health and safety risks, will be prioritized for shelter placement," Healey said.
To help smooth the process, Healey also announced Monday the appointment of a new emergency shelter director, Lt. General Scott Rice — a man with 40 years of experience to oversee management and coordination of the state emergency housing system.
"It is important to me that our state succeeds in meeting this humanitarian challenge," he said.
The state is also looking to help families already in shelter exit the system faster, through housing and job programs.
Healey did not make clear what would happen to families who cannot find rooms in the existing shelters, but did push the federal government to do more to intervene.
