policy

Gov. Maura Healey said Friday the state will conduct comprehensive criminal background checks on all shelter residents, saying she requested a more thorough check months ago however the checks never took place.

Briefing from reportersHealey said she issued an order last spring to require Massachusetts criminal record checks (CORI checks) on all residents within the state's shelter system. However, she said her team recently informed her “that this has not happened at all locations, and that is completely unacceptable.”

Healey added: “We will get to the bottom of why that didn’t happen.”

Her government's handling of the protection system is under scrutiny, particularly after two high-profile incidents last yr. In March, a person was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl at a Rockland migrant shelter. And last month, an undocumented immigrant was allegedly found with an assault rifle and fentanyl at a shelter in Revere.

reported Thursday that despite assurances from the Healey administration of a radical vetting process, the state has not conducted full criminal background checks on all shelter residents. Noah Bombard, a spokesman for the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, told Boston.com that the state has at all times conducted background checks on applicants for its emergency housing program and conducted monthly warrant checks.

Healey clarified Friday that the state is conducting CORI checks on residents of so-called overflow sites, where many newcomers to Massachusetts have been sent. She also noted that as well as to go looking warrants, all residents of the house were also subject to a Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) check.

Earlier this week, Healey called for a full inspection of all shelters after Leonardo Andujar Sanchez was arrested on drug and weapons violations on the shelter in Revere. She said Friday that the state has accomplished inspections of hotels used as lodging facilities and expects to finish work on the remaining sites “very soon.”

Healey said she has asked former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis to steer an independent, external review of the protective system and report on any additional security measures needed.

“I also plan to work with the Legislature to review any changes and make changes to better ensure that the Right to Housing Act is actually consistent with its original intent,” Healey said, referring to the law that requires the state to supply shelter to homeless families and pregnant women.

She argued the Right to Housing Act was not designed to cover the “waves and waves of people” who’ve arrived in Massachusetts in recent times.

“We will continue to work on it and get it right,” Healey promised. “It’s important to me as governor and it’s important to the safety and well-being of communities across Massachusetts.”

Local news

On Monday, activists gathered outside the Massachusetts State House to protest upcoming changes to the state's emergency shelter system that may limit the length of time families can stay in shelters to 5 days.

Governor Maura Healey announced the changes, which take effect last Wednesday. Her administration has said some families might be prioritized because the state continues to grapple with a severely overstretched shelter system amid a surge in migration and an ongoing housing affordability crisis.

Families prioritized under the brand new restrictions include those that have develop into homeless because of an eviction through no fault of their very own or “sudden or unusual circumstances in Massachusetts beyond their control” corresponding to fire or flood, those with at the least one veteran, those with medical needs or newborns, and people susceptible to domestic violence.

Families who don’t qualify for priority treatment will only have the option to remain within the shelters or “temporary emergency housing” for five days starting Aug. 1. The state previously set a 30-day cap on the shelters in May. Healey said the state “cannot afford” the scale of the present system.

Advocates urged Healey on Monday to reverse the changes, warning that the policy overhaul would harm children and families.

The protest was organized by the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and aimed to call on the governor and legislators to “maintain access to shelter for children and families.”

Kelly Turley, a member of the coalition, said in the course of the event that she fears more families might be forced onto the streets and have to depart the state if they can not find accessible housing. Reports.

We are grateful for the families, advocates, providers, community leaders, faith members, legislators, etc. who stood with us today and @MassGovernor Reverse the plan to limit access to family housing. This policy WILL harm children and families. pic.twitter.com/YniIZRMout

— MACoalition/Homeless (@MAHomeless) July 29, 2024

This morning GBLS @MassLawReform, @MAHomelessLawmakers and community members are protesting proposed changes to the emergency shelter system that may make it less accessible and fewer humane for Massachusetts residents who need it most. Housing is a human right! #mapoli pic.twitter.com/1MUmTAlkjE

— Greater Boston Legal Aid (@BostonLegalAid) July 29, 2024

“The state has spent $11 million on consultants to develop these plans for access to emergency shelters,” Turley said. “At the same time, we're telling families we don't have the money to provide them with a safe place to stay.”

Craig Andrade, associate dean of Boston University's School of Public Health, said GBH the change in policy was “inhumane”.

“They're not going to magically find housing just because the state imposes new restrictions,” he told the station. “The people who are forced out will become homeless.”

Suppliers informed GBH that they already Families sleeping without protection in parks or outside of family accommodation.

According to the most recent official estimate, the variety of homeless people in San Mateo County has increased by 18% over the past two years, despite the fact that local authorities have arrange about 300 emergency shelters to assist people get off the streets.

The count released Wednesday found that 2,130 people were homeless across the county. More than half were living outside, in vehicles or other places not designed for housing. The rest were staying in shelters.

Despite the rise, local officials attributed the opening of two shelters in Redwood City and San Mateo to the rise within the variety of homeless individuals with a roof over their heads. The county noted that 985 people were housed in shelters, a 38% increase from 2022.

“This means fewer people are living in more unsafe situations, such as on the streets or in tents,” Claire Cunningham, director of the county's Human Services Agency, said in a press release. “And emergency shelters provide case management and supportive services to help residents find permanent housing.”

The latest numbers come from the county's most up-to-date biennial “Point-In-Time” homeless count, conducted by a team of volunteers and repair providers on a single evening in January.

In the Bay Area, Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties also conducted counts earlier this 12 months. Alameda County recently reported that the variety of homeless people dropped by three percent to 9,450, while Oakland's homeless number increased by nine percent. In San Francisco, the variety of homeless people rose by seven percent to over 8,300.

Figures for Contra Costa County are expected soon, while Santa Clara County, which conducted the count last 12 months, won’t conduct one other count until 2025.

Although these estimates are widely viewed as underestimated, they’re critical for cities and counties to plan their homelessness response efforts and determine what state and federal funding they’ll expect.

Although unprecedented billions of public funds have been poured into the fight against homelessness in recent times, getting people off the streets stays a serious challenge as rising housing costs, job losses, and mental health and addiction problems force others to depart homelessness.

“This confirms that our work is never finished and we remain committed to helping as many of our homeless residents as they wish,” County Executive Officer Mike Callagy said in a press release.

Earlier this 12 months, the county passed an ordinance that will criminally penalize homeless individuals who refuse shelter, but just for those in unincorporated areas, an estimated 114 residents. Homeless people sometimes refuse shelter for a wide range of personal reasons, from health and safety concerns to an unwillingness to comply with curfews. County officials hope the ordinance, which homeless advocates have condemned as cruel, generally is a model for cities across the peninsula.

Across San Mateo County, 1,145 homeless people without shelter were identified, a 5% increase from 2022. Of that number, 70% were living of their cars, vans or RVs. The remainder of the homeless had some type of shelter.

Redwood City, where the county opened a 240-unit homeless shelter and orientation center last 12 months, had probably the most homeless people at 189, up from 245 two years ago. Pacifica had the second most at 180, followed by San Mateo at 95.