Commonwealth of Massachusetts
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HOUSING &
LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
Maura T. Healey, Governor  Kimberley Driscoll, Lieutenant Governor  Edward M. Augustus, Jr., Secretary
October 31, 2023
The Honorable Aaron M. Michlewitz, Chair The Honorable Michael J. Rodrigues, Chair
House Committee on Ways and Means Senate Committee on Ways and Means
State House, Room 243 State House, Room 212
Boston, MA 02133 Boston, MA 02133
The Honorable Jay Livingstone, House Chair The Honorable Robyn Kennedy, Senate Chair
Joint Committee on Children, Families and Joint Committee on Children, Families, and
Persons with Disabilities Persons with Disabilities
State House, Room 146 State House, Room 507
Boston, MA 02133 Boston, MA 02133
Steven T. James, House Clerk Michael D. Hurley, Senate Clerk
Office of the Clerk of the House Office of Clerk of the Senate
State House, Room 145 State House, Room 335
Boston, MA 02133 Boston, MA 02133
Dear Honorable Committee Chairs and Mr. Clerks:
The emergency assistance (“EA”) shelter system has experienced unprecedented and unsustainable rates
of growth in demand in recent months. Today, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
(“EOHLC”) issued emergency regulations addressing circumstances, like those now present, in which
system capacity is unable to meet current and projected demand for shelter. Those regulations provide
that the Secretary of EOHLC may issue a formal declaration and accompanying guidance. Enclosed,
please find the regulations and the declaration. The accompanying guidance will be publicly posted in
accordance with the regulation. The regulations, declaration, and guidance will not alter eligibility for, or
the level of benefits under, the EA program.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Edward M. Augustus, Jr.
Secretary, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
Enclosures
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 300 www.mass.gov
Boston, Massachusetts 02114 617.573.1100
 Commonwealth of Massachusetts
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HOUSING &
LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
Maura T. Healey, Governor  Kimberley Driscoll, Lieutenant Governor  Edward M. Augustus, Jr., Secretary
DECLARATION – EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FAMILY SHELTER
Pursuant to 760 CMR 67.10, as Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, I
hereby declare that I have determined, as detailed herein, that the Emergency Assistance (EA) family
shelter system is no longer able to meet all current and projected demand for shelter from households
eligible for EA, considering the facts and circumstances presently existing in the Commonwealth.
I have made this determination based on the following facts and circumstances:
For the past year, the Emergency Assistance program in Massachusetts has been expanding at an
extraordinary rate to meet rising demand leading Governor Healey to declare a State of Emergency on
August 8, 2023. This demand has been driven primarily by surging numbers of newly arriving migrant
families, high cost and limited availability of housing, and reduced exits of families in long-term
emergency shelter stays. As of today, the Emergency Assistance program is in a projected FY24
deficiency and is expected to require expenditures beyond the appropriations from the FY24 General
Appropriations Act, and beyond the supplemental budget request filed by Governor Healey in September
2023, to fund the contracts and services to support the number of families currently in the system. As
further detailed below, further expansion is also unsustainable from a capacity and operational
perspective.
The FY24 General Appropriations Act appropriation for the Emergency Assistance program includes
funding to support 4,100 families and approximately 4,700 units. As of October 27, 2023, there were
7,268 families in the shelter system. This reflects a 77% caseload increase over the caseload contemplated
in the FY24 budget and is the largest number of families ever living in EA family shelters at one time
since the Department of Housing and Community Development (predecessor to the Executive Office of
Housing and Livable Communities) assumed responsibility for the Emergency Assistance program.
The Emergency Assistance program line item, 7004-0101, received a $325 million appropriation in the
FY24 General Appropriations Act, which was approved on August 9, 2023. That line item in the FY24
General Appropriations Act was consistent with the amount budgeted in the Governor’s House 1 budget
recommendation filed in March, and was intended to support 4,100 families. As of September 2023,
when Governor Healey’s supplemental budget request was filed, the number of families in the Emergency
Assistance shelter system exceeded 6,100. At the current time, the line item has approximately $535
million in commitments to pay through FY24, based on current caseload of 7,268 families in the shelter
system. This amounts to a projected FY24 deficiency in line item 7004-0101 of approximately $210
million, and this projected deficiency does not include additional resources needed for wraparound
services, school supports, and community supports.
At current rates of entries into and exits from EA shelter, the number of eligible families in shelter would
continue to increase to more than 13,000 households in shelter by fiscal year end (if sufficient shelter units
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 300 www.mass.gov
Boston, Massachusetts 02114 617.573.1100
could be found to accommodate that many households). With the average length of stay growing each
month (averaging 13.6 months as of the first quarter of FY24), the pressure on the Emergency Assistance
program will be long-term in nature, with the families entering shelter today expected to remain through
FY25.
The current rate of expansion in the Emergency Assistance program is unsustainable. Since January 2023,
EOHLC has engaged in extensive efforts to increase the number of shelter units to meet the need.
EOHLC entered into emergency contracts with service providers and sought shelter units across the
Commonwealth, with shelter units located in approximately 90 cities and towns. Given increasingly
critical provider shortages, the Governor called up 250 members of the Massachusetts National Guard to
serve at shelter hotels that would otherwise be unstaffed, lacking coordination of services for food, basic
needs, medical, and transportation.
It is no longer possible to secure additional space that is suitable and safe for use as shelter beyond a
capacity of 7,500 families.
The Commonwealth does not have enough space, service providers, or funds to safely expand shelter
capacity any longer. For the reasons described above, I determine that the maximum capacity of the
Emergency Assistance program is approximately 7,500 families.
Pursuant to 760 CMR 67.10, EOHLC is directed to issue appropriate guidance to implement this
declaration.
This Declaration shall be in effect from November 1, 2023, to February 28, 2024 and may be extended
pursuant to 760 CMR 67.10.
This Declaration shall be posted on EOHLC’s website at Emergency Housing Assistance Programs |
Mass.gov.
_________________________________________ ___10-31-2023__________