Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Shelter system overload

Friday, November 10, 2023

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Shelter system overload

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NO MORE ROOM — Migrant and homeless families seeking shelter through the state’s emergency assistance program will now be put on a waitlist after the system exceeded the Healey administration’s 7,500-family capacity limit yesterday. And no one knows where they’re supposed to go.

Faith groups and service providers are racing against time and cooling temperatures to open temporary overnight shelters. The state is seeding the United Way of Massachusetts Bay with $5 million to help organizations set them up. And the United Way led a planning call with more than 110 service providers and stakeholders yesterday.

But Cindy Rowe, who leads the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, said many faith-based groups won’t know if they’re eligible to provide that short-term shelter until the Healey administration rolls out requirements for facilities next week.

And that brings us back to the waitlist. The state is now in triage mode, prioritizing families for eventual shelter placements based on their medical and safety risks . In the meantime, families are being told they have three options : return to the “last safe place” they stayed, apply for a program that will help pay their rent but not find them a place to live, or apply for other benefits like food stamps.

That’s stoked fears among housing and homelessness-prevention advocates that families in this “right-to-shelter” state are going to end up on the street just as the weather turns cold.

“We’re very concerned about the safety of children and families,” Kelly Turley, the associate director of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, told Playbook. It’s to the point, she said, that the Immigrant Family Services Institute, a nonprofit that primarily helps Haitian migrants, is collecting sleeping bags so that families can stay in their office if they have nowhere else to go.

Gov. Maura Healey and her team continue to call on the federal government for backup: more money, expedited work permits and a large-scale group shelter.

Gov. Maura Healey warned last month that the shelter system would run out of room to safely house migrant and homeless families. | Joshua Qualls/Courtesy

But only one of those requests is being fulfilled in the near term — through the work-authorization legal clinic the state is hosting with federal officials next week and again at the end of the month.

And the shelter crisis didn’t come up when Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll met Vice President Kamala Harris at the airport yesterday to kick off her brief swing through Boston, the governor’s office confirmed.

Eyes now turn to the Senate, which is weighing $250 million in additional aid for the shelter system that the governor requested in September and that the House sent over this week with stipulations. The upper chamber is up against the clock: formal sessions end for the year on Wednesday.

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Tips? Scoops? Are you a service provider or faith-based group helping migrant and homeless families? Email us: kgarrity@politico.com and lkashinsky@politico.com .

TODAY — Healey , Driscoll and Auditor Diana DiZoglio attend a Veterans Day ceremony at Faneuil Hall at 10 a.m. DiZoglio is on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at 12:50 p.m. Reps. Seth Moulton and Jake Auchincloss are on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” at 11 a.m. Moulton holds his annual Vets Town Hall at 3 p.m. in Marblehead.

THIS WEEKEND — Retailers Association of Massachusetts President Jon Hurst is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Veterans Secretary Jon Santiago and Boston City Councilors-elect Ben Weber and Henry Santana are on NBC10 Boston’s “At Issue” at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

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FROM THE HUB

IT'S INTERESTING THAT THOSE CALLING FOR A CEASE FIRE ARE DISMISSED AS PRO-PALESTINIAN RATHER THAN GENOCIDE OPPONENTS!

V(I)P VISIT — Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested Kamala Harris in downtown Boston yesterday, blocking sidewalks and streets to call for a ceasefire in Gaza as the vice president expressed support for Israel at a private event inside the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

The protesters stood under construction scaffolding and in a chilly mist, holding signs that read “Kamala, your legacy is GENOCIDE” and “Only cowards hurt children" and chanting “Kamala, Kamala, can’t you see? You are on a killing spree." A far smaller group of pro-Israel demonstrators stood nearby.

Safely ensconced in a ballroom, out of sight and earshot of the megaphone-equipped protesters, Harris laid out the administration’s line on Israel to deep-pocketed donors and prominent Massachusetts politicians at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser.

"The president and I are very clear that Israel has a right to defend itself and it is a right that we support," Harris said. "We also strongly have urged and believe that it is critical that the people of Gaza receive humanitarian aid."

Harris also said there should be "no intentional targeting of civilians.” She noted that the Biden administration is “working around the clock” to help bring the remaining American hostages home.

But Harris did not mention the daily, four-hour humanitarian pauses that Israel agreed to hours before — a breakthrough that did nothing to quell the protest outside.

“Basically what you’re doing is you’re saying all right, we’re going to provide a little bit of food, a little bit of water … and then you’re going to go back to bombing them,” Amrita Dani , a member of the Boston chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation that helped organize the demonstration, told Playbook. “What kind of humanity is that?”

Two people were arrested and charged with trespassing , police said. One man, who was stopped just outside the fundraiser by DNC staff and told to leave, began to protest the continued use of fossil fuels as a struggle ensued. He was eventually forced to the floor by police and restrained. “Ceasefire now,” he cried out. The vice president wasn’t in the building to hear him.

Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated outside of a fundraiser Vice President Kamala Harris was attending in downtown Boston. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO

MEANWHILE, TO THE WEST — Pro-Palestinian demonstrators also protested President Joe Biden in Chicago yesterday, POLITICO’s Shia Kapos reports . And Berkshire County residents demanded that Rep. Richard Neal support a ceasefire during a small demonstration outside of his Pittsfield office, per the Berkshire Eagle’s Sten Spinella .

WHY HARRIS WAS REALLY HERE — The protests eclipsed why Harris came to Boston: to tout the administration’s support for apprenticeship programs and organized labor, and to drum up support for her and Biden’s reelection bid.

“Everything is at stake in this election,” Harris told the roughly 160 people who shelled out at least $1,000 to hear her speak at the DNC fundraiser hosted by Georgia Murray and others.

Guests dined on salmon salads and creme brûlée as they listened to the warm-up acts — MassDems Chair Steve Kerrigan , Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Attorney General Andrea Campbell . Former Rep. Joe Kennedy III , state Rep. Tram Nguyen , DNC member Jim Roosevelt , former Ambassador Alan Solomont and Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle were among those listening along as Harris took the stage and spoke about protecting abortion access and the promise and perils of artificial intelligence in a half-hour conversation with Biden principal deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks .

GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

THE ORANGE TURD & REPUBLICANS ENCOURAGED VIOLENCE & THREATS AS A SOLUTION TO DISAGREEMENTS.....AND THE FEEBLE MINDED REACTED!

IT'S DOMESTIC TERRORISM & NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED & PROSECUTED!

— “Healey says she will no longer tell public in advance when she’s leaving Massachusetts, citing ‘security concerns’, ” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “In a major break from her predecessors, Governor Maura Healey’s office said it is no longer publicly disclosing when the Democrat intends to travel outside of Massachusetts, potentially leaving the public with little to no visibility at times of whether she’s in the state she was elected to lead. A Healey spokesperson said 'security concerns' prompted the change in policy, but did not offer further details or enumerate any specific threats against the governor.”

— “Healey admin wants to study psychedelics for vets with ‘historic’ legislation,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: “Just in time for the arrival of Veterans Day, the Healey Administration announced a new plan to significantly expand benefits for Massachusetts residents who served in the armed forces and study if psychedelics could be useful in their medical treatment.”

A message from Delta Dental of Massachusetts:

WHAT CITY HALL IS READING

— “Louijeune says she has the support to become Boston City Council president,” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “Ruthzee Louijeune, an at-large city councilor who was the top vote-getter in this week’s municipal election, announced Thursday that she has enough support from her colleagues to become the body’s president in January. Louijeune, a 37-year-old Hyde Park lawyer and daughter of Haitian immigrants who will be entering her second term on the council, made the announcement via a press release, which did not include a breakdown of her support on the council.”

She didn’t have long to celebrate. The Boston Herald soon published a story quoting two unnamed councilors — though we’ll bet Louijeune knows exactly who they are — ragging on her for purportedly not calling all of her colleagues before going public.

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “T's GM pledges to bring trains back up to speed by the end of 2024,” by Bob Seay, GBH News: “MBTA General Manager Phil Eng announced the most extensive track improvement program the agency has ever undertaken Thursday morning — an overhaul that will involve dozens of service suspensions across all lines to lift the remaining 191 speed restrictions by the end of 2024.”

PLAYBOOK IS GOING GLOBAL! We’re excited to introduce Global Playbook, POLITICO’s premier newsletter that brings you inside the most important conversations at the most influential events in the world. From the buzzy echoes emanating from the snowy peaks at the WEF in Davos to the discussions and personalities at Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to the heart of diplomacy at UNGA in New York City – author Suzanne Lynch brings it all to your fingertips. Experience the elite. Witness the influential. And never miss a global beat. BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. SUBSCRIBE NOW .

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “Who’s in charge at the Cannabis Control Commission?,” by Bhaamati Borkhetaria, CommonWealth Beacon: “With its chair indefinitely suspended, the four remaining members of the Cannabis Control Commission are having a hard time deciding who’s their leader. … The commission on September 18 and September 21 voted 4-0 to make Ava Callender Concepcion the interim chair until Thursday, but each time it took almost an hour of debate. The commissioners haggled over the issue again on Thursday before voting 3-1 to retain Concepcion as interim chair until December 15, when the issue will be revisited again.”

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

SUNUNU WATCH — New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is getting closer to making his coveted endorsement in the GOP presidential primary. He’s effectively narrowed it down to three candidates, he told reporters last night after stumping with Chris Christie in Merrimack. And, no surprise here, they’re all current or former governors: Christie, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley .

One person who appears to be out of the running after his debate performance this week: Vivek Ramaswamy . Sununu told POLITICO that the biotech entrepreneur and political novice doesn’t have the “temperament” to be president after the Ohioan lashed out at everyone from his rivals to the head of the Republican National Committee while onstage in Miami. More on that here .

Sununu expects to make his endorsement after Thanksgiving , by which point we’ll finally know the date of New Hampshire’s presidential primary. The secretary of state plans to announce it on Wednesday.

A message from Delta Dental of Massachusetts:

A healthy smile is a powerful thing, so it’s never too early to start practicing good oral hygiene. Although baby teeth are only around for part of your child’s life, they play a significant role in how their smile will develop. Baby teeth assist with eating, influence speech development, and hold space for permanent teeth to grow in later. Therefore, it is imperative that parents help take good care of their child’s smile. If baby teeth are not properly cared for, they can potentially damage permanent teeth and/or cause neighboring teeth to shift, which would require orthodontic treatment later in life. When the first tooth shows up, begin brushing it in soft, gentle circles twice a day. Continue helping your child and take them to regular dental appointments in order to keep their smile healthy. Speak with your dentist and learn more tips and tricks at ExpressYourHealthMA.org.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to MassINC Polling’s Steve Koczela, Shawn Duhamel, Jess Laverty and Alex Bausch . Happy belated to Emma Friend , who celebrated Thursday.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Alec MacGillis, Will Boscow, Jesse Adams, Shelly Tsirulik and The New York Times’ Eric Athas , a UMass Amherst alum, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Seekonk state Rep. Steven Howitt, Haven Orecchio-Egresitz , MassINC alum Winthrop Roosevelt, Tim Urban, Devra First, Kusumita Savaram and Playbook superfan Laura Kashinsky .

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: ONE MILLION MAYORS — The crew breaks down Tuesday’s election results in Massachusetts and beyond. GBH’s Katie Lannan joins for a deep dive into the Senate special. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and SoundCloud .

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS — Thursday's Playbook included a link to a story from the Eagle-Tribune that incorrectly stated actions of House lawmakers related to free prison calls. The Eagle-Tribune has since corrected the story to reflect that House lawmakers support Gov. Maura Healey's move to delay implementing the policy.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com .

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