Homeless families and individuals will be prohibited from sleeping overnight at Logan International Airport in Boston starting July 9, state officials announced on Friday. This decision comes as Massachusetts has made efforts to open more overflow shelter beds for homeless families, including many newly-arrived migrants who have used the airport as a last resort, according to Governor Maura Healey.
Emergency Assistance Director Scott Rice stated that the state is now in a position to end the practice of people staying overnight at the airport due to the increase in families finding stable housing. “This is in the best interest of families, travelers, and staff at Logan, as the airport is not an appropriate place for people to seek shelter,” Rice said in a statement.
Families currently sleeping overnight at Logan who are on the state’s emergency assistance shelter waitlist will be offered transfers to the state’s safety-net system. This includes a new site in Norfolk that opened this week and can accommodate up to 140 families at full capacity.
The number of families leaving shelter has steadily increased over the past few months, with more than 300 families leaving in May, the highest number in years, according to Rice. However, Massachusetts is still out of shelter space. “If families are traveling to Massachusetts, they need to be prepared with a plan for housing that does not include Logan Airport or our emergency assistance shelters,” Rice added.
Advocates for the homeless have raised concerns about the airport ban. Kelly Turley, associate director of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, noted that Logan Airport has been an “inadequate yet crucial lifeline” for hundreds of children and parents waiting for long-term housing. Advocates are calling on the state to better address the root causes of the broader housing affordability and homelessness crises.
Earlier this week, Governor Healey sent a team of officials, led by Rice, to the southern border. They met with organizations that assist families at the border, including Catholic Charities and the Interfaith Welcome Coalition, to ensure they had accurate, updated information about the lack of shelter space in Massachusetts. The administration will continue to disseminate this information through flyers in English, Spanish, and Haitian-Creole. These flyers not only state that the shelters are full but also include sobering facts about the state, such as the high cost of rent and the extreme weather conditions.
On the same day, the Supreme Court allowed cities to enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outside in public places. The ruling, which followed ideological lines, stated that such laws do not amount to cruel and unusual punishment, even in areas where shelter space is lacking.
Governor Healey acknowledged the humanitarian crisis leading people to Massachusetts but emphasized that the state has done more than its fair share in response. Families currently sleeping at the airport who are on a waitlist for emergency assistance shelter will be offered a chance to transfer to safety-net shelters intended to accommodate overflow. These sites include the new facility in Norfolk.
Last year, Healey imposed a cap of 7,500 families in the emergency shelter system at one time. Since then, Massachusetts has consistently had a waitlist of shelter-seekers above that threshold. Lawmakers and Healey also agreed to limit families to nine months in the system, with some extensions available. As of June 13, Massachusetts had 272 families, or 919 people, in overflow shelter sites.
“The administration has worked diligently in recent months to increase the number of families leaving shelter for more stable housing. With this progress, the recent opening of a new safety-net site in Norfolk, and the new nine-month length of stay policy, we are now in a position to end the practice of families staying overnight in the airport,” said Scott Rice. “This is in the best interest of families, travelers, and staff at Logan, as the airport is not an appropriate place for people to seek shelter.”
Rice was part of the delegation that went to Texas this week. His statement also emphasized that the state plans to continue spreading the word that Massachusetts is out of shelter space. “If families are traveling to Massachusetts, they need to be prepared with a plan for housing that does not include Logan Airport or our Emergency Assistance shelters,” he reiterated.
This decision marks a significant shift in how Massachusetts is handling its shelter crisis, particularly as it relates to newly-arrived migrants and homeless families. The state is taking steps to ensure that those in need are directed to appropriate facilities while also managing the limitations of its shelter system.
Source: AP News, WBUR, ABC News
