Demand Prompts Extension of Emergency Shelter Powers

Family Promise of the Coastal Empire halts new intakes

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Family Promise of the Coastal Empire is no longer taking in new families, after being notified from a faith-based partner that they can no longer provide shelter. Last week, the non-profit received the news, and five families were left in limbo. WSAV spoke with Katrina Bostick, CEO of Family Promise of the Coastal Empire. “A lot of times it can be liability with insurances and things of that," Bostick said. "Oftentimes, th…

Demand prompts extension of emergency shelter powers

The state’s emergency assistance shelter system is still not capable of meeting all current and projected demand, Housing Secretary Ed Augustus determined July 11 as he extended his authority to impose a six-month stay limit and other limitations. There are 3,348 families enrolled in the EA shelter system as of Thursday, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities said. When they infused another $425 million into the overburdened sys…

Editorial: Shelter cost an insane tax hit

Bay State taxpayers are forking over an average of $3,823 a week for each family in emergency shelter. That’s according to MassFiscal after the Herald reported earlier this week the FY25 bill for the shelter system was just shy of $900 million — with the total expected to increase to nearly $1 billion. This comes as the state’s Right to Shelter Law has drawn illegal immigrants to our state in record numbers. Yes, the law has been around for deca…

Demand prompts extension of emergency shelter powers - CommonWealth Beacon

THE STATE’S EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE shelter system is still not capable of meeting all current and projected demand, Housing Secretary Ed Augustus determined last week as he extended his authority to impose a six-month stay limit and other limitations. There are 3,348 families enrolled in the EA shelter system as of Thursday, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities said. When they infused another $425 million into the overburdened s…

Massachusetts emergency family shelter system spending nears $900 million for fiscal year

The biweekly report on Massachusetts’ Emergency Housing Assistance Program (often referred to as the emergency family shelter system) was issued by the Healey Administration’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and the Executive Office for Administration and Finance on Monday, covering data through July 10, 2025. This system, established under a 1980s “right-to-shelter” law, […]