66% of families exiting Healey Hotels entered the rental market

Healey is “solving” her Hotel problem by increasing demand for market rate rentals

Over the last 30 days the Healey administration has moved 569 families out of Healey Hotels and 66% - or 375 families - have exited to “market rate housing…with or without HomeBASE assistance” which provides up to $45,000 of government “help” over three years.

64 families obtained subsidized housing and 7 to stable housing in or out of state, with another 123, or 22%, families “exiting shelter to an unknown housing destination or transferring within the EA system” In other words, it is possible some of these families did not actual exit but recycled back into the program.

Yesterday, Healey announced she would shut the Healey Hotels by the end of the summer, but caseloads are still at 4437 families as of this morning, running higher than the 3500 family threshold that first sparked significant controversy in October 2023.

No other state has a shelter law or is seriously considering a shelter law.

Healey does not breakdown the HomeBASE data so it is not possible to know, using the bi-weekly EA housing report, how many exiting families are using HomeBASE.

According to mass.gov: “HomeBASE helps families who have been found eligible for Emergency Assistance (EA) Family Shelter by providing up to $30,000 over a 2-year period, with the possibility of a 3rd year of help, based on need. If your family is found eligible for the Emergency Assistance (EA) Family Shelter program, you may work with a shelter or diversion case worker to apply.”

Data from bi-weekly reports from filed on mass.gov form April 22 and May 5, 2025.