Healey says state emergency family shelter system will soon reach capacity

BOSTON (WLNE) — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said Monday that the state emergency family shelter program will reach its capacity by the end of the month.

Healey said Massachusetts is overwhelmed by a sudden influx of migrants entering the state, with families being housed in 90 cities and towns.

Healey declared a state of emergency in August when thousands of migrants arrived in a short amount of time.

At the time, the shelter system included 5,600 families — about 20,000 people.

The migrant families taking up so much space in the system is a concern for some residents and officials, as the state faces an ongoing housing crisis.

Massachusetts is required to shelter eligible families in the system as a “right-to-shelter” state.

Healey said starting next month, migrant families with urgent needs will be taken into the program first, and families that can’t immediately be placed will be put on a waiting list.

With reporting from the Associated Press.