RI Continues to Place Homeless in Hotels, MA is Ending the Policy

RI Continues to Place Homeless in Hotels, MA is Ending the Policy

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced on Monday that her administration’s plan to close all hotel shelters is six months ahead of schedule, with the remaining 32 hotels expected to close this summer. Governor Healey had previously directed all hotel shelters to be closed by the end of 2025. 

 

A new report shows that, as of April 30, only 32 hotel shelters remain, down from a peak of 100 in the summer of 2023, a 68% decrease. These decreases are "a result of a number of reforms Healey made to reduce caseloads and the cost of the state’s Emergency Assistance family shelter system, including a six-month length of stay requirement, workforce training and job placement for residents, and increased case management to help families find stable housing," according to the Commonwealth 

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The total number of families in shelter recently dropped below 5,000 for the first time since July 2023 and is expected to drop below 4,000 families this summer – six months ahead of schedule. 

 

“When we took office, homeless families were being placed in hotel shelters across the state,” said Healey. “A hotel is no place to raise a family, and they are the least cost-effective. That’s why we implemented reforms to lower caseloads and the cost of the shelter system. We also promised to close all hotel shelters by the end of the year. I’m pleased that we are ahead of schedule, with more families getting jobs and moving to stable housing.” 

 

Rhode Island Hotel Homeless Housing Continues

But in Rhode Island, Governor Dan McKee’s administration continues to use hotel housing. 

 

The Rhode Island program is substantially smaller than the one now ending in Massachusetts. 

 

“Since the height of the pandemic, the Rhode Island Department of Housing has reduced the number of state-funded hotel and motel shelters for individuals experiencing homelessness from nine to two,” said Emily Marshall, Chief of Information and Public Relations for the Rhode Island Department of Housing.

 

"Approximately 100 individuals are currently sheltered in the remaining hotel/motel projects. This reduction is part of a phased transition away from pandemic-era hotel-based sheltering, due to high operating costs and the limited ability of such settings to provide the wraparound services and stability needed for successful transitions to permanent housing,” Marshall added.

 

The McKee administration has not announced any plan to change or end the policy.

 

As an alternative, one leading housing advocate starting in 2022 had argued for building up to 500 pallet homes in Rhode Island to save money and to serve as a better form of transitional housing.

 

In February, the state opened just a few dozen pallet homes. The project comes in at approximately $4 million for the 45 units. 

 

The cost is two to three times the cost of other communities building similar facilities.