Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Playing the Trump card on shelter limits

Monday, November 25, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Playing the Trump card on shelter limits

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SHELTER SHOWDOWN — Donald Trump’s looming promise to conduct mass deportations of undocumented immigrants is giving progressives a new reason to push back against the state’s emergency shelter restrictions.

In her latest attempt to curb ballooning shelter costs, Gov. Maura Healey’s office rolled out a slate of new policies Friday, looking to cut the limit on stays in the emergency shelter system from nine to six months while bumping the time families can stay in so-called temporary respite centers back up from five business days to 30.

But Trump’s impending return to power could give a messaging boost to progressives and advocates who have been critical of the restrictions already in place.

“Next year, as Trump is president, some of the imagery around the state kicking out families — that happening under a Trump presidency will definitely increase a certain emotional reaction,” Jonathan Cohn, the policy director at Progressive Massachusetts, told Playbook.

In an interview on MSNBC shortly after the election, Healey said that Massachusetts State Police would “absolutely not” assist if asked by Trump’s administration to help execute mass deportations. That, Cohn said, is “a clear disconnect” from the message her office is sending at home.

But the shelter crisis, which has dominated Healey’s first two years in the corner office, is still a problem with no easy political answer. On the other side of the aisle, MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale pointed to immigration — and the shelter system's billion-dollar price tag — as one of the reasons Republicans held their own in legislative elections this year.

“The immigration situation, particularly with the migrants here in Massachusetts, is affecting the economy. We’re spending over a billion dollars at the state level every year on migrants,” Carnevale said during an interview on WBZ’s “Keller Large” that aired Sunday. (Sixty-five percent of families currently housed are “long-term” Massachusetts residents, according to the state.)

“We really saw [the election results as] a message to the administration both at the federal level and at the state level that they need to rethink policies on migrants,” Carnevale said.

In addition to shifting time limits, officials are phasing out the use of hotels and motels for shelter, according to the announcement Friday, and creating a new two-track system to sort families in need, offering the longer-term six-month housing and services to “high-risk” families. Healey will also seek to increase the amount of money those seeking shelter can access through the HomeBASE program.

Some of the policies will need legislative approval, which Healey plans to seek when she files a supplemental budget requesting more funding to cover the costs that are projected to top $1 billion this fiscal year.

With the shelter system set to run out of funds in January, the Legislature could end up deciding on whether to approve the new limits — and more money — just as Trump returns to Washington. That’ll be a potential test for progressives on Beacon Hill, and whether they’re ready to leverage their discontent into real results.

GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . It’s a three-day week here at Massachusetts Playbook: We’ll be in your inboxes through Wednesday, then off Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. Get your tips, scoops and birthdays in: kgarrity@politico.com .

TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey, Rep. Jake Auchincloss and state and local officials are in Newton to announce plans to rebuild Newtonville Station at 10:15 a.m. Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll launch a new mortgage program for first-time homebuyers at 1:30 p.m. in Lynn. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attends the annual Christopher Columbus Park trellis lighting at 5:30 p.m. in the North End. Rep. Jim McGovern kicks off a 43-mile walk from Springfield to Greenfield to raise money for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts at 6:30 a.m. in Springfield.

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Cape Cod Democratic Rep. Chris Flanagan under investigation for felony larceny, report says,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “A Democratic state representative from Dennis Port is under investigation for felony larceny over $1,200, though details of the allegations are heavily redacted in a report from the Yarmouth Police Department. The investigation into Rep. Chris Flanagan, who won reelection to the House this month, comes after he was penalized earlier this year for misleading state regulators about how a campaign mailer was paid for and resigned from his second job at the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Cape Cod in May.”

WATCH — State Auditor Diana DiZoglio talks the latest on her ongoing effort to audit the Legislature on NBC10 Boston’s “At Issue.”

RELATED — “Diana DiZoglio again seeks legal action to force Legislature to comply with audit,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald.

****AFTER STEWARD*****

— “Mass. health secretary questions private equity's impact on hospitals after Steward's collapse,” by Mike Cole, WCVB: “Looking back on the collapse of Steward Health Care, Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh addressed the role of private equity in health care in an interview for Sunday's episode of WCVB's ‘On The Record.’ Walsh emphasized the need for regulatory guardrails to prevent similar failures in the future. She also highlighted the importance of securing adequate funding to support the health care system.”

— “New law aims to shore up and equalize state’s public health services,” Jason Laughlin, The Boston Globe: “Massachusetts is mandating new public health performance standards to improve the patchwork of local services responsible for ensuring restaurants are clean, pools are safe, and disease outbreaks are tracked and reported. The legislation empowers the state Department of Public Health to set new quality controls for Massachusetts’ 351 local public health departments and requires DPH to provide resources to help local departments meet those goals, including training and funding.”

— “Gov. Healey doesn’t think her summertime political flex on the Legislature was ‘pressure’,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald.

ICYMI — Former Gov. Charlie Baker hasn’t been vocal about the zoning reform he signed into law when he was in office, but he did address the state’s housing crisis — and the controversial MBTA Communities Law — during an unrelated event in Needham earlier this month, per the Needham Observer.

“For Massachusetts to succeed in the future we’ve got to build more housing,” Baker said, according to the Observer. “And a lot of it’s gotta be in places with spaces where people can afford it. I get the fact that everybody that’s got a house has a certain comfort with the way things are. But if you look at all the demographic trends, the crowd we’re losing is the 25 to 35-year-olds. They’re the next generation and it’s gonna be important for us to figure out a way to create places and spaces that they can afford to do what we did.”

But Baker didn’t force the issue when asked whether Needham — which is now gearing up for a referendum on the town’s new housing plan — should comply with the law.

“Look, I think the whole point behind that was to create a framework and let communities figure out what the best way was to comply with it,” he said, according to the Observer.

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PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “Massport to invest $60 million to create electric shore power for growing cruise ship industry,” by Christopher Burrell, GBH News: “Massport announced plans on Friday to spend $60 million to build an electric power system allowing some specially-equipped cruise ships to plug in and switch off diesel engines while docked. The quasigovernmental agency says it plans to develop two shore power outlets at its Flynn Cruiseport in Boston to reduce pollution, amidst a growing awareness of how the local shipping industry is affecting public health and the environment.”

TRUMPACHUSETTS

— “In Mass. towns where cost of living outpaced income, Trump saw more gains, data show,” by Esmy Jimenez and Vince Dixon, The Boston Globe: “While many measures indicate the country has bounced back from pandemic-induced financial strains, a Globe analysis found that President-elect Donald Trump’s vote share increased in many Massachusetts counties where the household income is not enough to keep up with the actual cost of living. The findings, based on analyzing 2020 and 2024 state voting data and cost of living estimates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, appear to show that voters in Massachusetts this year were heavily influenced by their pocketbooks.”

— “Patrick: Democrats erred by not talking to outsiders,” by Adam Reilly, GBH News: “As a second Trump Administration takes shape, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is arguing that the Democratic Party’s failures during the 2024 election cycle stemmed partly from a basic misunderstanding of how ordinary people think about politics.”

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TRANSITION TIME

CABINET COMPLETE — After a flurry of Friday night announcements, Donald Trump’s core cabinet has taken shape. The president-elect announced nine new potential nominees over the span of roughly an hour Friday, and added a tenth to the list Saturday. Dive deeper with this piece from POLITICO’s Irie Sentner and see who Trump has tapped in our Cabinet tracker .

WARREN’S TAKE ON TREASURY — Sen. Elizabeth Warren isn’t greeting Trump’s Treasury pick with a warm welcome — but she’s still willing to give Scott Bessent, the CEO of Key Square Group and an ally of Vice President-elect JD Vance, a chance to win her confirmation vote next year.

In a statement this morning, Warren criticized Bessent for what she described as a record of “helping rich investors make more money, not cutting costs for families squeezed by corporate profiteering.”

“I do not know if Mr. Bessent will transfer his loyalty from Wall Street investors to America’s workers, but I am willing to work with anyone to advance the interests of working families,” said Warren, who was floated as a possible Treasury Secretary pick herself under President Joe Biden. “I look forward to reviewing the Treasury Secretary nominee’s record and meeting with him ahead of his confirmation hearing.”

FROM THE 413

— “Partnership gives Berkshire Health Systems employees first priority for affordable housing at the Thornewood,” by Claire O'Callahan, The Berkshire Eagle: “As the housing shortage spreads, those who make what's traditionally been considered a middle income are feeling the crunch. Berkshire Health Systems has newly partnered with the Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire to alleviate housing costs for its employees.”

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THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Gloucester teacher strike ends; students and teachers head back to school Monday,” by Tiffany Chan and Tammy Mutasa, WBZ: “One of three teacher strikes on the North Shore of Massachusetts is over. The Gloucester School Committee said it has reached a tentative agreement with the union on a new contract, and students and teachers will be back in class on Monday. Classes in Gloucester have been canceled since the first day of the strike on Nov. 8. Teachers are still on strike in Beverly and Marblehead.”

— “Beverly, Marblehead strikes blow past judge’s deadline,” Isabelle Friedman, Boston Herald: “Marblehead and Beverly school districts blew past a court-imposed deadline to settle their teacher strikes and announced cancellation of school on Monday, but negotiators remained at the bargaining table long after dark in an effort to strike a deal. The 6 p.m. deadline came and went without a deal in either community. Ultimately, school was canceled for Monday in both districts, though negotiators reported enough progress to keep at it well past 8 p.m.”

— “‘Critical’ drought conditions hit South Coast,” by Adam Goldstein, The New Bedford Light: “Bristol and Plymouth counties are experiencing “critical” drought conditions amid an unprecedented statewide dry spell this fall. The South Coast has been feeling its impacts, though local farmers and public water suppliers say they do not yet see any cause for alarm.”

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Leah Regan and Allie Strom.

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