Boston To Place Migrants Into Veterans’ Housing
The city of Boston announced that it would use veterans’ housing to shelter migrants amid a large wave of illegal immigrants entering the Massachusetts city.
The city will utilize the Veterans Home at Chelsea as a “safety-net site” for the migrants. As part of the program, the migrants would have to start to show that they are seeking to exit government programs, look for jobs and housing and learn English.
The state’s Emergency Assistance Director Scott Rice said that the current system “is at capacity, and we do not have the space, providers or funding to continue expanding.”
“This new certification policy is a responsible step to address the capacity constraints at our safety-net sites. Families will need to demonstrate that they’ve taken action to get on a path toward independence and out of shelter,” he said.
The Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Services Jon Santiago said that the “project operates independently and will not impact the daily routines or services at the Massachusetts Veterans Home at Chelsea.”
Historic 'Soldiers' Home' is Being Turned Over to Migrants.
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Officials in Boston, Massachusetts, are converting the Old Chelsea Soldiers’ Home into accommodat…
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The state’s emergency family shelters have been at or near capacity for months as migrant families have moved in. The state currently has 240 families in the safety-net locations with another 7,500 families in Massachusetts’ emergency shelter.
The plan comes on the heels of public protest against the use of migrant shelters in the city.
The state declared a state of emergency last year over the influx of migrants. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) said that the state needed federal aid to handle the current crisis.
Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll (D) called on residents to offer their homes for housing migrants.
“Most importantly, if you have an extra room or suite in your home, please consider hosting a family. Housing and shelter is our most pressing need and become a sponsor family,” Driscoll said.
“”This is a national issue that demands a national response,” said Healey last year. “In the meantime, we’re simply asking the federal government to use the tools already available to give these brave parents a chance to work and support their families.
