The lefty governor of Massachusetts rolled out a series of reforms this week in a desperate bid to reign in the staggering $1.1 billion in annual costs her state spends on the migrant crisis.
Gov. Maura Healy said Friday the state will be phasing out the use of hotels and motels for emergency shelter for illegal migrants over the next 19 months, according to multiple reports.
Healey — who declared this week said she’s prepared to use “every tool in the tool box” to protect her state’s migrants and vowed state police would “absolutely not” assist President elect Trump in his planned deportation operation — also aims to create a reserve account for shelter expenses and shortening the length of shelter stays from nine months to six months.
“In recent years, the state’s family shelter system has grown increasingly unstable,” Healy said in a statement. “We’ve taken significant action to rein in its growth, and we’ve seen tangible results.”
Healy last year declared a state of emergency, capping shelter capacity to 7,500 families.
The state has struggled dealing with increases in demands for homeless services – in part because of an influx of migrants.