Massachusetts is the ONLY “Right to Shelter” State.
You may have heard of “sanctuary cities” or “right-to-shelter cities.” However, the mandate to shelter the homeless does not necessarily carry over to the entire state unless you are in Massachusetts. Massachusetts is the only state in our country with the “Right to Shelter” across the entire state. That means the city or town you reside in is automatically considered a location with the “Right to Shelter.”
In May of 2023, the U. S. Customs and Border Patrol reported 204,561 Southwest border encounters. How many of those individuals were sent to the country’s only “Right to Shelter” state? Unfortunately, that answer is either unknown or has not been made public.
Before Title 42 ended on May 11th, 2023, Massachusetts was already experiencing a homelessness crisis. A 2022 report from Up for Growth, a non-profit organization, cited that Massachusetts had a whopping 108,157 housing shortage. Just over a year later, it is suspected that Massachusetts has taken in several thousand to possibly tens of thousands of migrants. Where are we planning to house them? Where is the money to come from?
A quick internet search of “Massachusetts Immigrants in Hotels” reveals many stories where local hotels are housing migrants. One example of such migrant housing is a Clarion hotel in Taunton, MA. In the spring of 2023, Clarion Hotel (Choice Hotels is the parent company) signed a contract with the state to house migrants until June 30th, 2024. The state then has the option to renew the contract on a twelve-month basis for nine years.
The Clarion Hotel has 155 rooms, and the contract states that the fee would be $123/night for the room itself. If all 155 rooms are fully occupied, the state is paying Clarion Hotels $19,065/night. If we multiply the cost for a one-night stay times 365 days, you will get a total of $6,958,725/year. The state has also agreed to pay $37/day per person for food and other accommodations/services. The most disheartening takeaway from this situation is that there doesn’t appear to be a cap on how much money can be spent.
Unfortunately, there are other hotels in Massachusetts making similar agreements. In the fall of 2022, Kingston and Plymouth were reported to be housing migrants. The problem continues to grow by the day, and our elected officials keep throwing money into projects that create more affordable and temporary housing. The number of homes to be developed only provide living space for a tiny percentage of what is needed, and that total is based on present-day needs. Who knows how many more homes we will need in the next six months, year, and even further down the line? How are we getting the money for all this housing? Taxes.
I am all for helping those in need who are genuinely down on hard times. That is just human decency, but there must be limits. If I had a home with two extra spare bedrooms and someone I knew needed a place to stay, I would arrange to help them. If I knew of two additional people who needed a place to stay, I would try to use the couch and maybe an air mattress, but now I am pushing it. There is only so much space and financial resources that I can devote to helping others.
This situation is happening in our state right before our very eyes. We do not have the space or resources to keep up with demand. When that happens, history has proven that crime rises. That is not something I want to see for our great state.
Which leaves a question for each resident of Massachusetts, what can a person do to help solve the problem? First, we must bring awareness and educate each other on what is happening right under our noses. That can be as simple as sharing this article or the information you learned. You may also want to consider running for an elected position. More than ever before, we need good people running for office, from school committees to town/city selectmen, to the State House and Congress. Whatever you choose, it is always important to remember to do so peacefully and lawfully. The more we band together to help restore our values and morals as a state, the more successful we will be.
Here is to brighter days in Massachusetts!
Charlie W.
Sources
https://upforgrowth.org/apply-the-vision/housing-underproduction
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-releases-may-2023-monthly-operational-update
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