Due to the increasing number of border crossers entering the Bay State, the state of Massachusetts is urging private homeowners to provide shelter for illegal aliens. This request is in line with Massachusetts’ unique “right to housing” policy for homeless families, which Governor Maura Healey (D) is using as a basis to encourage legal residents to accommodate undocumented immigrants who are struggling to find available beds.

Healey declared a “state of emergency” over the influx of illegal aliens, stating “There are currently nearly 5,600 families or more than 20,000 individuals in state shelter, including children and pregnant women.”

Healey and her supporters have proposed a potential resolution, which involves accommodating migrants in privately-owned residences.

Afterward, the Lt. Gov. told the state, “Most importantly, if you have an extra room or suite in your home, please consider hosting a family. Housing and shelter is our most pressing need and become a sponsor family.”

The state is currently providing accommodation for over 1,400 families in 40 hotels across 28 cities within the state, all funded by taxpayers and offered free of charge to undocumented immigrants. As per FAIR’s report, these families typically stay for an average of 14 months, enjoying complimentary room and board.

It appears that the state is now seeking assistance from non-governmental organizations to increase the pressure on homeowners to open their doors to migrants. A group known as the Immigrant Support Alliance is organizing seminars to educate residents on the concept of hosting illegal immigrants in their homes. The upcoming event is scheduled to take place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, adding significance to the occasion.

Many are questioning whether the state plans to make more serious efforts to place undocumented individuals in private residences, as these recent developments have raised suspicions. Massachusetts is the only state with a “right to housing” law specifically for families, although it does not extend to single homeless individuals.

According to the law, the state is obligated to provide shelter and housing for homeless families. However, the state’s housing system is already overwhelmed. While New York City has a law guaranteeing emergency shelter and California has a law requiring the state to house runaway teenagers with or without parental consent, Massachusetts stands alone in having a statewide regulation that automatically mandates housing for all homeless families.

This rule has become increasingly expensive for the left-leaning state, prompting some lawmakers to seek changes.

State Representative Peter Durant (R-Worcester) pointed out last year that in 2022, the state provided free housing for 15 families. However, in 2023, that number skyrocketed to nearly 2,000 families. Durant remarked, “Either we have experienced a massive surge in homelessness, or the majority of these individuals are illegal immigrants.” The Office of Housing and Livable Communities reported that the state spent $2.6 million in 2023 to house undocumented families, with projections indicating that this cost will rise to $10.7 million in 2024.

Howie Carr, a columnist for the Boston Herald, has expressed concern about the state’s initiative to place illegal immigrants in private homes. He particularly worries about the safety of homeowners who are being asked to accommodate unknown, unidentified, and unvetted individuals.

“Joe Biden et al. have turned what was a decent, if woke neighborhood, into a Bidenville. The illegals are up all night, driving their unregistered scooters everywhere. Needles litter the gutters. The illegals are harassing young American girls and ‘verbally abusing’ adults,” Carr noted in an August op-ed.

He then asked, “Can the residents of, say, Dover or Weston choose between a MS-13 gangbanger and a member of Los Trinitarios?”

Carr raises a valid argument. Will the state assume responsibility for ensuring the safety of homeowners who have chosen to provide shelter to Healey’s undocumented immigrants? How can homeowners ascertain whether they are welcoming individuals with criminal backgrounds? Can they be guaranteed that these undocumented individuals are not introducing diseases that were once believed to be eradicated in the U.S.?

Moreover, how will these homeowners ensure the safety of their own children when they invite unemployed, homeless illegal aliens into their residences, individuals who have already demonstrated a willingness to disregard our laws?

Furthermore, does Governor Healey possess the authority to mandate that citizens accommodate illegal immigrants in their homes? After all, the “right to housing” is also a legal provision. To what extent can Healey enforce this law? Thus far, state officials have chosen not to address these inquiries.


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