A budget breakthrough in the Massachusetts Senate could be a gamechanger in tackling the Bay State's migrant crisis. State senators passed its supplemental budget late Thursday night.
With a vote of 32 to 8, senators voted for this one-time use expenditure, allowing Gov. Maura Healey's administration to spend the $840 million on the issue over these next two fiscal years.
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The state currently spends about $75 million each month — or about $10,000 per family — on the 7,500 migrant and local families that are living in emergency shelters across the state.
Under the plan, the amount the state will be allowed to spend decreases every month after June.
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It also caps the time families can stay in state-run shelters at nine months, with opportunities to renew their stay in 90-day increments if they are veterans, pregnant women, caretakers for those with disabilities or people enrolled in work programs.
"With the failure of our federal government to act in aide in this crisis, the responsibility unfortunately falls upon our shoulders," said Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues. "This supplemental budget before the body today represents a balanced plan to the EA shelter crisis that is proactive."
The plan requires a safety check at all the state-run shelters. This is in response to the alleged sexual assault a Haitian migrant committed on a migrant teenager last week.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide and resources for sexual assault survivors.
The measure now goes back over to the House for lawmakers to make changes or potential compromises.
