Massachusetts Changes Homeless Shelter Policies To Ease Capacity Constraints

Massachusetts has changed its “right to shelter” policies for homeless families, and starting August 1, 2024, implemented changes to its state-funded Emergency Assistance (EA) prioritization and safety-net sites for families experiencing homelessness. These changes are intended to address the system’s continuing capacity constraints, lower costs, and protect the financial sustainability of the EA system. The changes were announced on July 23, 2024.

Under the new approach, families are prioritized for placement in EA shelters if they are homeless because of a no-fault eviction or because of sudden or unusual circumstances in Massachusetts beyond their control, such . . .