House puts the squeeze on shelters

Politico

06-02-2025

DEJA VU — Massachusetts House Democrats are set to debate a supplemental spending bill that includes new restrictions on family and migrant shelters with funds for the system already running into the red — again.
But this time Democrats on Beacon Hill are doing something you don't see often: embracing policies long pushed by their Republican counterparts — kind of.
The $425 million supplemental budget would strike a current provision that allows families to stay in shelters as officials determine whether they're actually eligible applicants. It calls for cutting down the amount of time most families can stay in shelters from nine to six months. And it seeks to cap the system at 4,000 families starting at the end of the year.
The bill would also require families in shelters to 'establish Massachusetts residency,' by showing they plan to stay in the state, whether that's by showing they receive MassHealth or other public benefits, or with Massachusetts ID. And, in response to backlash over incidents of violence in state-run shelters, it would have any shelter resident disclose their criminal histories.
One thing it's missing: the provision that Healey pitched legislative budget writers on mandating people seeking shelter show they had been in the state for at least three months.
Residency requirements and stricter time limits on shelter stays have been pushed by GOP lawmakers since the state began slicing up its 'right-to-shelter' law. But for Republicans, the changes the House is debating are too little, late. MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale blamed Democrats for being 'incapable of managing this crisis,' in a statement Wednesday. 'Instead of prioritizing public safety and fiscal responsibility, they have chosen political pandering at the expense of both taxpayers and those caught in the broken shelter system,' she said.
Many of the changes are only temporary (lasting through Fiscal Year 2025, which ends in June) including nixing presumptive eligibility. Which means legislators may be right back here again in just a couple months as each chamber works its way through its own budget.
Even with funds already running out, the bill likely won't get to Healey's desk before next week, when Senate budget chief Sen. Michael Rodrigues told reporters his chamber expects to take it up.
Rodrigues didn't tip his hand about what moves the Senate might make: 'We're looking at everything. That's why we haven't rushed,' he told reporters Wednesday.
GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Housing Secretary Ed Augustus announce a statewide housing plan at 10 a.m. at the State House. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners board meeting at 11 a.m. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio speaks at the Massachusetts Town Clerks Conference at noon in Devens. Sen. Ed Markey hosts a press conference on the federal funding cut-off to EPA programs at 2:30 p.m. in Washington.
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DATELINE BEACON HILL
— 'State Must Shoulder UI Debt Interest Costs,' by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): 'An employer-funded account will repay most of the money Massachusetts owes to the federal government due to a Baker administration accounting error, but state budget-writers might also need to find hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade to cover the interest.'
— 'Mass. lawmakers push for abortion without trimester limits,' by Hannah Reale, GBH News: 'A few short lines buried in Massachusetts' laws have been debated time and again: the rules around when a person in the third trimester of their pregnancy is allowed to get an abortion. The option became available in Massachusetts five years ago, and lawmakers tweaked the language in 2022. But a new bill would make abortion broadly legal at or after 24 weeks — leaving the decision to the judgment of health care providers.'
— 'Gov. Maura Healey wants to 'continue to serve.' But in what capacity is still unclear,' by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: 'Gov. Maura Healey hinted Wednesday that she may run for some political office in the future but whether that's the executive office at the State House is still unclear. The first-term Democrat from Arlington declined to elaborate when pressed multiple times on whether she plans to run for a second term as governor, even as multiple Republicans have floated themselves as potential gubernatorial candidates for the 2026 election.'
— 'Anti-Trump protesters gathered outside Mass. State House as part of nationwide action,' by Robert Goulston, GBH News: 'A crowd outside the Massachusetts State House quickly grew to hundreds of people around noon on a frigid Wednesday as people chanted their frustrations with President Donald Trump, his policies and members of his leadership, including billionaire Elon Musk. Within an hour, the crowd was on the move marching through Boston Common waving signs and chanting, 'No Trump, no KKK, no Fascist USA!' Many of the protestors say they found out about the protest online under the hashtag #50501, meant to represent 50 protests in 50 states happening on one day. Similar protests occurred at state capitols across the country.'
MAURA V. MUSK — Gov. Maura Healey has joined the chorus of Democrats unloading on Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk 'and that group of young individuals with no experience and no security clearance … have basically unfettered illegal access to everyone's personal information,' Healey said during a brief scrum with reporters Wednesday.. (There's a local angle here: One of the 'young individuals' Healey referenced reportedly attended Northeastern University.)
Musk's DOGE, in case you missed it in the recent whirlwind of news, is roiling federal agencies as the richest man in the world tries to take a hacksaw to federal spending. Musk's allies over the weekend gained access to the Treasury, which handles trillions of dollars in federal funding, raising the alarm for Democrats.
The resulting situation is 'unbelievable,' 'completely irresponsible,' and 'very dangerous when you think about what he can do with that information,' Healey said.
It was a rare beat down from Healey, who's been more reserved in her criticism of Trump-world since he won back the White House in November while increasing his support in Massachusetts.
FROM THE HUB
— 'After Tania Fernandes Anderson probe, Boston City Council votes to ban non-disclosure agreements,' by Gayla Cawley, The Boston Herald: 'The Boston City Council voted to ban councilors from requiring their staff to enter into non-disclosure agreements as a condition of their employment, in response to a federal indictment that revealed Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson used them on the people who worked for her. The City Council voted 11-0, with two councilors absent, on Wednesday to amend its rules by adding a policy that bans the use of non-disclosure, non-disparagement and other confidentiality-related agreements and documents on the body.'
— 'Boston Public Schools seek more funding for special ed., multi-language learners in proposed budget,' by John Hilliard, The Boston Globe: 'A year after Boston Public Schools were forced to make sweeping cuts, the district has proposed a $1.58 billion budget for the coming school year that would pour more resources into student services, school administrators said Wednesday. The 3.5 percent increase would mean more funding for special education and multi-language instruction; improvements for school libraries and pools; and help to address math and literacy learning loss for many students, they said.'— 'Public records reveal staff turmoil with Michael Flaherty out, embattled HR director suspended at Boston Water and Sewer,' by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald.
— 'Big move in beleaguered office market: Gillette is on the hunt for a new headquarters,' by Catherine Carlock, The Boston Globe: 'The Procter & Gamble Co. is in the market for a new South Boston headquarters for its shaving subsidiary Gillette, some two decades after the Cincinnati-based consumer products behemoth acquired the razor maker for $57 billion, four real estate industry sources told the Globe. The headquarters search is still in the very early stages, though it will stay focused on sites with proximity to Gillette's century-old 'World Shaving Headquarters' along Fort Point Channel in South Boston. Several major real estate brokerage firms late last year pitched their teams to represent the company on its search, three sources said. In a statement, the company confirmed the hunt and reiterated its commitment to South Boston.'
THE RACE FOR CITY HALL
— ''A good landlord tax break is not the same as rent control': Wu takes aim at Josh Kraft's housing proposal,' by Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe: 'The fiery start to Boston's mayoral race continued Wednesday, as incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu took aim at challenger Josh Kraft and his idea for how to rein in the city's sky high rent costs. When Kraft formally launched his campaign to unseat incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu Tuesday, he slammed her failure to get the state Legislature's approval of her rent control measure, and offered his own proposal: tax breaks for landlords who choose to cap rent increases for 10 years.'
WHAT'S ON CAMPBELL'S DOCKET
— 'Campbell, other state AGs threaten to sue Trump administration over gender-affirming care,' by Roberto Scalese, WBUR: 'Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said she will defend state laws that protect access to gender-affirming health care, even if that means suing the Trump administration to do so. Campbell is one of 14 attorneys general who signed a statement released Wednesday reiterating their duty to protect access to gender-based healthcare and decrying the Trump administration's efforts to curtail it.'
TRUMPACHUSETTS
— ''We are not targeting anyone': Foley says she'll uphold immigration law but won't target local officials,' by Deborah Becker and Lisa Creamer, WBUR: 'The newly appointed U.S. attorney for Massachusetts said her office will not target local politicians or police who disagree with President Trump's immigration directives. However, Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah Foley stressed that no one is 'immune from federal prosecution' if they interfere with the government's enforcement actions.'
— ''I just hung up.' Angry about Trump and Musk, Mass. residents inundate congressional phone lines, encountering glitches,' by Samantha J. Gross and Emily Spatz, The Boston Globe.
— ''She will not be safe': Mass. transgender woman fights transfer to men's prison,' by Hadley Barndollar, MassLive.
THE LOCAL ANGLE
— ''Worcester welcomes everybody': Council takes up symbolic transgender designation,' by Toni Caushi, Telegram & Gazette: 'The City Council's delay in acting on a petition that called for Worcester to become a 'sanctuary for transgender and gender-diverse people' led to an eruption of jeers from members of the LGBTQ+ community during Tuesday's meeting. After about two hours of in-person and remote comments, all of which were in support of the petition, the vote was postponed to the next meeting after Councilor-at-Large Donna M. Colorio held the item under privilege, voicing risks about the city possibly losing federal funding in case of an in-favor vote.'
HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH
TRANSITIONS — Hodan Hashi is the new director of communications and community engagement at AIM. She was communications director for Boston city Council President Ruthzee Louijeune.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Webster state Rep. Joseph McKenna, Neri Oxman and Pamela Esler.