Over half a million Americans are homeless on any given night, with many relying on emergency shelters and temporary housing solutions. The arrival in the U.S. of more than a million migrants with asylum applications, almost of them with very limited financiual means, and many without family ties in the U.S., has exacerbated a pre-existing housing crisis.
Deporting migrants from Texas
Governor Abbott brought the border crisis to major cities, and others such as Boston have been impacted as well. (The NY Times and Boston Globe have been covering this phenomenon.)
The migrant affected are most likely all legally in the U.S. with applications for asylum. The backlog of asylum cases in the immigration court system rose from 1.4 million in Sept 2021 to 3.4 million today. Texas’ practices significantly contributed to the spreading of applicants throughout the country. But many more applicants spread across the country on their own than Texas deported. I have seen no report that credibly estimates the entire flow of ayslees.
In the past two years, Texas has transported over 119,000 migrants to Democrat-led cities, significantly impacting migration patterns and immigration debates in the U.S. This initiative began in September 2021 when over 9,000 migrants crossed into Del Rio, Texas, overwhelming local resources. By April 2022, Texas started busing migrants to cities like Washington, D.C., New York, and Chicago.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott continued offering free bus rides to migrants, aiming to alleviate pressure on Texas border towns and highlight the challenges of large-scale unauthorized immigration. The program paused briefly in early 2023 but resumed and expanded, targeting cities supportive of the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
The influx of migrants strained resources in destination cities, leading to overcrowded shelters and hotels. New York, for instance, spent over $5.1 billion handling the surge, with projections reaching $10 billion by mid-2025. Denver, another major recipient, saw significant impacts, with many migrants moving on to other states due to limited local resources.
Abbott’s program has forced cities to adapt, often with limited coordination from Texas, leading to chaotic arrivals and strained local services. The influx of migrations exacerbated a pre-existing housing crisis, putting severe pressure on temporary shelter programs.
Massachusetts:
On August 7, 2023, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced an emergency declaration as more than 5,600 families with children are living in state-funded shelters, 80 % higher than one year ago. The declaration asked the federal government for funding and to authorize work permits for new migrant arrivals.
In mid-December 2023, Governor Healey’s administration reported roughly 3,500 migrants in the state’s emergency shelter system.
On July 24, 2024 Governor Healey announced changes to the state’s emergency housing system that prioritizes needy Massachusetts families over migrants for longer-term placements. As of Aug. 1, stays in so-called overflow shelters will be limited to just five days, and would require people to wait at least six months before they could qualify for placement at a longer-term facility.
As of today, Massachusetts is currently housing around 23,000 people, including 7,499 families. The state has also capped its family shelter system at 7,500 families.