Gov. Maura Healey has turned to 76 hotels and motels to bulk up the number of beds available under the state’s emergency shelter program. Dozens of contracts with social service organizations show nights at those sites can often run up to $300, a cost that includes food and supportive services.
State House
Housing families in state-funded shelters in Mass. can cost taxpayers $300 a night
Nightly rates to house homeless families in hotels and motels can run hundreds of dollars, with agencies often baking in the cost of food and supportive services into the bill they hand to the state, according to contracts reviewed by the Herald.
Massachusetts housing department approved four no-bid contracts for migrant shelter crisis
Massachusetts’ statewide housing agency inked at least four no-bid contracts in the past year to stand up services at state-run emergency shelters amid an influx of migrants, including a $6.8 million deal with a Cape Cod cab company to provide free transportation to shelter residents.
May 1 deadline for $10M in maternal health grants
BOSTON — State public health officials intend to award $10 million in grants for maternal and reproductive health care initiatives, as the Healey administration looks to combat the worsening rate of severe maternal morbidity that’s disproportionately impacting people of color. The Department of Public Health will distribute the grants over three years, Gov. Maura Healey’s […]
Budget cuts on the table amid runaway migrant costs, Speaker says
House Speaker Ron Mariano suggested Thursday that broad budget cuts could be on the table when lawmakers sit down next year to draft the fiscal year 2026 budget, painting a grim financial picture for Massachusetts fueled by the historically high cost of running state-run shelters.
A new coalition wants to address the risks of youth sports betting in Massachusetts
A Massachusetts-based coalition of public and private organizations launched Thursday plans to raise awareness of the harms sports betting can have on young people, the laws surrounding the industry, and risks associated with gambling.
