Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency on Tuesday in regard to the shortage of available shelters needed to house the rising number of migrants arriving in Massachusetts.
“We remain unwavering in our commitment to be safe and a people of compassion, safety, opportunity and respect,” Healey said Tuesday during a press conference at the State House. “But the increased level of demand is not slowing down. And due to both a long-standing shortage of affordable housing, as well as delays and barriers to federal work authorizations, we find ourselves in this situation. We’re unable to move people from housing and shelter into permanent housing. Because of this, so instead, we’ve been expanding and continuing to look for housing and shelter opportunities, expanding shelter at a rapid pace, and it’s unsustainable.”
In Massachusetts, the governor has the authority to declare a state of emergency when the commonwealth is affected by either a natural or man-made disaster, according to the state’s website. A state of emergency can cover municipalities, multiple communities or the entirety of the state.
Sometimes a state of emergency will require that schools, businesses and/or state offices be closed as a way to protect state residents. That’s not the case with Healey’s current declaration.
The governor is also allowed to issue executive orders that would “meet the needs of a threat, emergency, or disaster,” the state’s website said. These executive orders are to be treated as law and can override any existing law over the course of the emergency.
“The governor is authorized to exercise any and all authority over persons and property necessary to protect the public,” according to the state website. “Depending on the disaster, this may include taking and using property for the protection of the commonwealth. Ordering evacuations, implementing curfews, or enacting other restrictions can be used to protect public health and welfare if warranted.”
On Tuesday, Healey declared a state of emergency in relation to the state’s overwhelmed shelter system not being able to house the rising number of migrants coming to the commonwealth.
The governor reported that there are almost 5,600 families, including more than 20,000 people, residing in state shelters, marking an 80% increase from the previous year. The influx of migrants entering the commonwealth has caused the state’s shelter system to become “overwhelmed.”
“These numbers are being driven by a surge of new arrivals in our country who’ve been through some of the hardest journeys imaginable,” she said during a press conference Tuesday. “They are the face of the national international migrant crisis. They’re here because where they came from is too dangerous to stay. They’re here because Massachusetts has and will always be a beacon of hope, compassion, humanity and opportunity.”
Specifically, the Healey administration is asking the federal government for funds and to expedite work authorization papers for migrants, according to a letter she sent to the Department of Homeland Security.