1,200-plus families entered shelters

More than 1,200 families have entered Massachusetts’ emergency shelter system nearly two months after Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency, according to data provided by the administration.

A spokesperson for the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities said there were 6,794 families in the shelter system as of yesterday morning, 1,244 more than the 5,550 that were in the system on Aug. 7, the day before the emergency declaration.

As of Tuesday, 3,604 families were in traditional shelter sites, or locations that are staffed by contracted homeless service providers, and 3,089 were in overflow hotel and motel sites, according to the administration.

A surge in newly-arrived migrants coupled with homeless families already seeking housing in Massachusetts have pushed the emergency shelter system to the brink. It has prompted Healey to make repeated calls to the federal government for funding and the expedition of work permits for migrants.

And the entrants to the shelter system show no sign of stopping. The Healey administration previously predicted that about 1,000 families, including locals experiencing homelessness and newly-arrived migrants would enter the shelter system each month.

The crisis has also prompted calls for help from municipal leaders who, at times, have criticized the Healey administration for poor communication. State officials have turned to an ever growing number of hotels and motels to house people because traditional shelter sites are full.

Healey has also deployed members of the Massachusetts National Guard to unstaffed shelter sites.