Governor Healey Declares State of Emergency, Calls for Support for Newly Arriving Migrant Families

Press Release

"State employees and our partners have been miracle workers throughout this crisis -- going above and beyond to support families and using every tool at their disposal to expand shelter capacity by nearly 80 percent in the last year. But in recent months, demand has increased to levels that our emergency shelter system cannot keep up with, especially as the number of families leaving shelter has dwindled due to a lack of affordable housing options and barriers to securing work. I am declaring a state of emergency in Massachusetts and urging my partners in the federal government to take the action we need to address this crisis by streamlining the work authorization process and passing comprehensive immigration reform. Many of the new arrivals to our state desperately want to work, and we have historic workforce demands across all industries. I am also calling on all of our partners -- from cities and towns to the faith community, philanthropic organizations, and human service providers -- to rise to this challenge and do whatever you can to help us meet this moment."

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