Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey sets a shelter limit

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey sets a shelter limit

Presented by

TESTING THE LIMITS — We’ve come a long way from when top Democrats on Beacon Hill were dismissing Republican Gov. Charlie Baker’s warnings that the state’s emergency shelter system was going to exceed capacity.

A little over a year later, Gov. Maura Healey is moving to limit how long migrant and homeless families can stay in state-run overflow shelter sites in Roxbury, Cambridge and, soon, at the former Chelsea Soldiers’ Home , by requiring them to effectively reapply for their spots each month. Hundreds of families will have to show that they’re seeking work or longer-term housing to remain eligible under the rules that will take effect May 1.

Lawmakers, meanwhile, are moving to cap how long families that make it off the waitlist and into the emergency shelter system can stay in it.

“All three of us understand that this program needs constraints or it’ll sink under its own weight,” House Speaker Ron Mariano said of himself, Healey and Senate President Karen Spilka during a Monday press conference. “We’ve all arrived at different positions at different times. But it seems as if we're all going basically in the same direction.”

That wasn’t always the case. Democratic legislative leaders brushed aside Baker’s escalating warnings toward the end of his tenure that the emergency shelter system would run out of room.

By October, it had . Healey capped the system at 7,500 families. Beacon Hill Democrats begged the federal government for help — and vented their frustrations when that aid never came.

Healey continues to appeal to Congress and the Biden administration, even though neither appears likely to act soon. The bipartisan border deal remains dead. And the executive actions President Joe Biden told governors last month that he was exploring haven’t come to fruition — in fact, they no longer appear imminent at all .

“I just continue to press for action by the federal government — by Congress — and for President Biden to use all options that he’s got on the table,” Healey told Playbook on Monday.

And so Beacon Hill has arrived at limiting how long families in this “right-to-shelter” state can receive emergency services. As Healey fleshes out the contours of her policy, the House and Senate are heading to the negotiating table over a supplemental budget that includes the chambers’ proposed changes to how long people can seek assistance. The House picked its conferees on Monday, and the Senate could follow on Thursday.

Massachusetts is not the first blue bastion grappling with an influx of migrants to make such a move. Chicago set a 60-day limit on shelter stays and began evicting people earlier this month . In New York City, which also has a right-to-shelter statute, most adult migrants will only be allowed to stay in shelters for 30 days, while younger adults will be allowed to stay for 60.

Even still, service providers here are approaching Healey’s new plan with a mix of acceptance and apprehension. Danielle Ferrier, the CEO of Heading Home, said the new rules are “a reasonable requirement given the state of our system” and a way to promote “accountability” for how the state and providers are spending taxpayer dollars.

But Kelly Turley, the associate director of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, worried about what would happen to families who lose their spot in the overflow sites. And Elizabeth Sweet, the executive director of Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said in a statement that her organization is “deeply concerned” that the new process will “create unnecessary red tape, sow confusion, and ultimately, place more families on the street.”

Gov. Maura Healey at the Cass Recreational Complex overflow shelter site in Roxbury. John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool) | AP

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Maryland Gov. Wes Moore was expected to meet up with Healey today before heading to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute tonight to receive a leadership award alongside New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu tonight. But the trip is off, Moore's office confirmed, after the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed overnight.

VIDEO & PHOTOS AVAILABLE!

BALTIMORE (AP) — A container ship rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to snap in a few places and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers were initially searching for at least seven people.

Two people were rescued from the waters under the Francis Scott Key Bridge, one in serious condition, according to Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace.

The cargo ship crashed into one of the bridge’s supports, causing the structure to snap and buckle at several points and tumble into the water in a matter of seconds — a shocking spectacle that was captured on video and posted on social media.

The vessel caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it.

“Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that. It looked like something out of an action movie,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, calling it “an unthinkable tragedy.”

The fire chief said authorities “may be looking for upwards of seven people” but said that number could change. It was not clear if the two rescued were included in the seven.

Sonar has indicated that there are vehicles in the water, where the temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) in the early hours of Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Earlier, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press that several vehicles were on the bridge at the time, including one the size of a tractor-trailer truck. The collapse happened in the middle of night when traffic would be lighter than during the day when thousands of cars traverse the span.

He called the collapse a “developing mass casualty event,” though he didn’t know at the time how many people were affected.

Cartwright added that some cargo appeared to be dangling from the bridge, which spans the Patapsco River at the entrance to a busy harbor. The river leads to the Port of Baltimore, a major hub for shipping on the East Coast. Opened in 1977, the bridge is named for the writer of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency and said he was working to get federal resources deployed. The FBI was also on the scene.

Synergy Marine Group — which owns and manages the ship called the Dali — confirmed the vessel hit a pillar of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m. while two pilots were in control. It said all crew members, including the pilots, were accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries.

The Dali was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and flying under a Singapore flag, according to data from Marine Traffic. The container ship is about 985 feet (300 meters) long and about 157 feet (48 meters) wide, according to the website.

In 2001, a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in a tunnel in downtown Baltimore and caught fire, spewing black smoke into surrounding neighborhoods and forcing officials to temporarily close all major roads into the city.

___

This story has been corrected to reflect that the ship does not appear to have sunk.

TODAY — Healey is on GBH News’ “Boston Public Radio” at 11 a.m. Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and AG Andrea Campbell attend Justice Robin Toone 's swearing-in ceremony at the John Adams Courthouse at 4 p.m. Healey and Auditor Diana DiZoglio attend Get Konnected’s 16th Anniversary Celebration at the JFK Library at 6:30 p.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announces the city’s 2024 “Open Streets” program at 10:15 a.m. in Hyde Park and joins a women veterans panel discussion downtown at 6 p.m.

Tips? Scoops? Spotteds? Email us: kgarrity@politico.com and lkashinsky@politico.com .

DATELINE BEACON HILL

ON DECK — The Senate plans to take up two bills when it meets on Thursday, one that would tweak debt-collection practices in the state and another that would regulate "hot work” — jobs that involve welding or other fiery practices — after a welding spark ignited a fire that killed two firefighters in Back Bay a decade ago .

FOR PROFIT HEALTH CARE SUCKS!
STEWARD TOOK IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL WITH
2 $40 MILLION YACHTS!

— “Steward hospitals crisis has state leaders on the hunt for legislative solutions,” by Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald: “The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a nearly five hour hearing with panelists from researchers to health care professionals Monday to discuss the growing role of private equity in funding health care. … Panelists discussed what role the state policy may be able to play in the management and oversight of the companies to protect against future collapses like Steward’s.”

excerpt:

Steward, the third largest hospital system in Massachusetts, admitted to being millions in debt in rent, with unpaid contracts and other expenses in early 2024. Following ultimatums from state leaders, the company is looking to sell off all their hospitals in the state, but the future of all nine hospitals remains uncertain.

Current data suggests over 400 hospitals in the country are owned by private equity firms, said Zirui Song, associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Song cited a broad research study of looking at over 600,000 hospitalizations at private equity hospitals compared to over 4 million at other hospitals.

Hospitals acquired by private equity firms had a 5% rise in “hospital acquired complications or adverse events for patients” in their first three years, Song said, driven by a 38% increase in bloodstream infections from central lines and a 27% increase in patient falls. Surgical site infections doubled compared to the control, he continued, even though there was a decrease in surgeries done.

— “Mass. pays out billions in pensions. Oversight on how much retirees work can be ‘non-existent,’ investigators say,” by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “Massachusetts is relying on a ‘deeply flawed’ honor system to ensure that retirees who return to the public sector obey state-imposed limits on what they can earn, according to state investigators, who found that oversight can be nonexistent and even calculating how much an individual retiree is allowed to make is extraordinarily complicated. State Inspector General Jeffrey S. Shapiro said there’s no central agency that monitors whether retirees in the state’s multibillion-dollar retirement system are abiding by laws that dictate how much they can earn from a public agency while still collecting their taxpayer-funded pension.”

FROM THE HUB

— “Intersection in Boston where 4-year-old was hit by pickup truck has been identified for safety upgrade,” by John R. Ellement and Ava Berger, The Boston Globe: “The crash that killed a 4-year-old near the Boston Children’s Museum on Sunday occurred in an area that Mayor Michelle’s Wu administration has targeted for a pedestrian safety upgrade, including a raised sidewalk at the intersection where the girl was hit, according to city records."

— “‘Without us this whole system just collapses’: BU graduate workers strike causes class disruptions,” by Dana Gerber and Esha Walia, The Boston Globe: “About 3,000 graduate student workers at Boston University went on strike Monday, fighting for improved pay and benefits in a labor action that students said resulted in myriad disruptions to classes and other academic work at Boston’s largest higher education institution. A crowd of hundreds, including workers, undergraduate students, and supporters such as Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Ayanna Pressley, gathered for a noon rally launching the work stoppage.”

— “Councilors not backing down after hearing on their free museum push for all Boston children kicked to August,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Undeterred by attempts to squash their push for immediate expansion of the mayor’s free museum initiative to all Boston schoolchildren, two city councilors have filed a communication to speak on the matter again at this week’s meeting. City Councilors Erin Murphy and Ed Flynn filed the communication to press the chair of the Council’s Education committee, Henry Santana, to hold a hearing on a resolution they put forward on the matter “as soon as possible,” in the wake of the hearing his office “abruptly canceled” earlier this month.”

Access New York bill updates and Congressional activity in areas that matter to you, and use our exclusive insights to see what’s on the Albany agenda. Learn more .

DAY IN COURT

— “Change of plea hearing Tuesday for former Holyoke Soldiers' Home superintendent,” by Phil Tenser, WCVB: “The former superintendent of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home, site of one of the deadliest Massachusetts outbreaks of the COVID-19 pandemic, is scheduled to change his plea in a criminal case. 5 Investigates has learned that Bennett Walsh's change of plea hearing is planned for Tuesday in Hampshire County.”

WARREN REPORT

— “Beyond a TikTok ban: Warren touts bill to rein in social media giants,” by Tiziana Dearing, Amanda Beland and Katie Cole, WBUR: “As Congress grapples with the future of TikTok in the United States, Sen. Elizabeth Warren is pushing for greater oversight of all social media companies with a bipartisan bill that would cover issues from foreign ownership to protecting consumers' personal data. … ‘Changing ownership structure alone is not going to fix this problem.’"

FROM THE 413

— “A ‘textbook’ housing solution: State housing chief lauds Northampton’s North Commons,” by Alexander MacDougall, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Massachusetts Housing Secretary Ed Augustus toured the North Commons mixed-income development in Northampton’s Village Hill area on Monday, calling it a ‘textbook example’ of how to build affordable housing units to tackle the state’s ongoing housing crisis.”

— “Mass MoCA says a tentative deal has been reached with workers, putting an end to weekslong strike,” by Sten Spinella, The Berkshire Eagle.

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Andover voters decide Select Board, School Committee races Tuesday,” by Teddy Tauscher, The Eagle-Tribune: “With hundreds of mail-in ballots already received, officials are predicting a ‘comparatively higher’ turnout for Tuesday’s town elections. … The election follows a contentious vote on the controversially expensive $450 million high school project.”

— “Feds give Sturdy Hospital in Attleboro $2.8M for emergency room expansion, mental health unit,” by George W. Rhodes, The Sun Chronicle: “The federal government is awarding Sturdy Memorial Hospital over $2.8 million to complete modernization and expansion of its emergency department, including installation of a 12-bed behavioral health unit.”

— “Dogs allowed: Worcester looking for four-legged solution to geese gatherings at city parks,” by Veer Mudambi, Telegram & Gazette.

SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, the newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world, including WEF in Davos, Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to UNGA in NYC and many more. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW .

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

— “Vote-counting machine foes hoped for a surge of success in New Hampshire. They got barely a ripple,” by Nick Perry and Holly Ramer, The Associated Press: “Like the old saying about March itself, an orchestrated effort [by supporters of MyPillow founder and Donald Trump ally Mike Lindell] to get rid of vote-counting machines in New Hampshire this month came in like a lion and went out like a lamb.”

excerpt:

“There was a lot of misinformation that was being spread,” Secretary of State David Scanlan said Thursday. “I think the general public saw through it, and the votes at those town meetings reflect that.”

The push for hand-counting ballots has been gaining popularity across rural America in response to unfounded claims of widespread fraud tied to ballot-counting machines following the 2020 election. There is no evidence that machines were tampered with, and such claims have been repeatedly rejected by election experts, prosecutors and judges.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Barbara Southall has joined the Massachusetts Assisted Living Association (Mass-ALA) as director of education.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler, Nick Bayer, Caroline Darmody, Carlos Mark Vera, Healey deputy press secretary Isabella Lanata and Kelli Ritter .

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 .

Follow us on Twitter