Steward Healthcare crisis on House agenda

The Steward Healthcare crisis will be kept front and center on Beacon Hill this coming week when the Massachusetts House gavels into session to take up a nearly 100-page proposal that attempts to address some of its root causes. Representatives will be asked to vote on legislation that top Democrats say directly responds to the … Read more

More no-bid contracts for Mass. emergency shelter system surface

The state’s health and human services agency greenlighted at least four no-bid contracts and an agreement to rent shelter space at a Quincy college for more than $237,000 a month as the Healey administration attempted to respond to an influx of migrants over the past year, according to documents obtained by the Herald. Contracts between … Read more

Republicans pushing shelter requirements, again

A twice-failed push to limit who can access state-funded emergency shelters based on the amount of time they have been in Massachusetts will rise from the ashes again later this week when the House takes up its fiscal year 2025 budget proposal. The Republican-backed effort to require prospective shelter residents to have lived in the … Read more

Small group rallies at State House against shelter spending

A group of less than 15 protestors rallied outside the State House Wednesday in opposition to state spending on emergency shelters in Massachusetts that are housing both local residents and migrants from other countries. The small contingent held large signs in front on the steps of the State House reading “close the Healey hotels” and … Read more

Mass. Senate approves up to $840M for state-run shelters

Massachusetts senators voted Thursday to shuttle hundreds of millions of one-time use dollars to a state-run shelter system buckling under the weight of an influx of migrants from other countries and soaring costs that show little sign of slowing down. The spending bill that passed the Senate on a 32-8 vote inches Beacon Hill closer … Read more

Jim Jordan wants answers on Haitian accused of raping migrant

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican who heads up the powerful House Judiciary Committee, launched an inquiry Tuesday into a Haitian charged with allegedly raping a migrant girl at a Massachusetts shelter last week, according to a letter obtained by the Herald. Jordan and U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, a California Republican, called on the … Read more

Man charged with raping migrant girl had two background checks

A man charged with allegedly raping a 15-year-old migrant girl at a Rockland shelter underwent two sex offender registry checks and entered the United States through a “federal program,” according to Gov. Maura Healey’s office. Cory Alvarez, 26, pleaded not guilty in Hingham District Court to one count of aggravated rape of a child and … Read more

The Mooch resurfaces, MassGOP infighting and the art of shooting

Anthony Scaramucci, the 10-day White House communications director for former President Donald Trump, threw his weight behind John Deaton, a Republican running in Massachusetts to unseat Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Scaramucci said this week he would host a fundraiser for Deaton, though the event has not been scheduled, according to Deaton’s campaign manager, Michael Gorecki, who … Read more

Mass. House limits time migrants, locals can stay in shelters

Legislation limiting migrant and local families’ time in shelter drew fierce debate on Beacon Hill Wednesday, with Republicans arguing it did not address the root problem of migration issues in Massachusetts and Democrats pitching it as a necessity to keep shelter services sustainable. The proposal, which cleared the House on a 121-33 vote, caps migrant … Read more

Migrants may be eligible for $30,000 housing assistance boost

Homeless families already in emergency shelters, including migrants from other countries, may be eligible for a state-run program that provides up to $30,000 over two years to find stable housing. The program, HomeBASE, has long served homeless families with children or pregnant women living in the emergency shelter system, which provides temporary housing under state’s … Read more