On August 8, 2023, Governor Healey declared a state of emergency “due to rapid and unabating increases in the number of families with children and pregnant people – many of them newly arriving migrants and refugees – living within the state but without the means to secure safe shelter in our communities.”
See the press release here.
See the video of the press conference here.
See the full declaration letter to the federal government here.
The Governor called on the federal government “to streamline and expedite work authorization, increase funding to states and address outdated and punitive immigration laws.”
The Commonwealth has created a web page – http://mass.gov/help-families-in-crisis – that contains a broad range of information regarding how organizations, landlords and individuals can help. It also launches the Massachusetts Migrant Families Relief Fund, a joint initiative of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and the Boston Foundation.
Enormous gratitude to our region’s shelter providers and state workers who are on the front lines of this crisis every day. This is an “all hands on deck” moment for all of us, in every capacity, and we are grateful to Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll for declaring the state of emergency that exists. We join the urgent call for federal action now.
