Massachusetts shelter costs to exceed $1B in FY25, migrant families a major factor

Massachusetts taxpayers are on course to spend $1 billion on the state’s emergency shelter program for FY25 with migrant families making up a significant share of those receiving assistance, according to a new report. 

Gov. Maura Healey’s administration has already spent $830 million so far in FY25 – which started on July 1 – accommodating more than 4,000 families who have been receiving taxpayer-funded shelter, food, education, legal aid and case management.

The costs work out at about $3,496 per week per family, or around $1,000 per person per week for the program, known as the Emergency Assistance (EA) system.

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The report, a June 16 biweekly update from the Massachusetts Executive Office for Housing and Livable Communities, notes that $679.6 million was spent on direct shelter costs and another $149.7 million on wraparound services, including education aid, work programs, National Guard payroll for security and rental assistance to help individuals exit the system.

Around 1,600 of the total 4,088 families currently in the system are migrants, per the report, although that figure is likely much higher as many migrant families are counted as “Massachusetts residents” for the purpose of eligibility.

The state was overwhelmed by an influx of migrants under the Biden administration and struggled to accommodate them. Many migrants ended up sleeping at Logan Airport as the Healey administration worked to set up temporary shelters, many of which are at hotels. 

There are currently 599 hotel rooms being used under the program and the report states that all hotels being used under the program will be shuttered this year. 

Already, the number of hotels being used as shelters has dropped to 28, down from a peak of more than 100, according to the report.

“The administration is on track to reduce [the] caseload to 4,000 families and close all hotel shelters by the end of the calendar year,” the report states. It follows Healey, a Democrat, saying last month too that all hotel shelters would be shuttered by the end of the year. She said the number of people in the EA system had dipped below 5,000 last month, as well.

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“Closing hotel shelters is essential to making sure that families are set up for success and to save our state hundreds of millions of dollars a year,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said last month.

The report comes as the influx of new migrants has all but ended given border crossings are at historic lows.

On Tuesday, Trump administration border czar Tom Homan said Border Patrol encountered just 95 illegal immigrants in a single day and that zero migrants were released into the U.S. last month.

Mike Kennealy, a Republican running for governor who previously served as housing and economic development secretary, blasted the report. 

He said that taxpayers are “being forced to bankroll billions to an unaccountable, broken system that perpetuates the migrant crisis—and we’re fed up,” per the Boston Herald.

Fox News reached out to Healey’s office for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

“While families are struggling to afford everyday necessities, the state is shelling out $15,166 per family per month. It’s not just insane — it’s offensive.”

The report also notes that 1,599 individuals in the EA system are currently employed, and 2,270 migrants have received work authorizations.

With the fiscal year ending June 30, Massachusetts is likely to exceed $1.06 billion, the report forecasts.