The federal government will cover some of the cost of temporarily housing migrants in Massachusetts’ emergency family shelters.
Why it matters: Massachusetts has spent more than $584 million on sheltering migrant families and other unhoused people in fiscal 2024 alone.
State of play: The Center for Medical and Medicaid Services approved the state’s request to amend its Medicaid waiver, according to a letter Deputy Administrator Daniel Tsai sent state officials Friday.
- The feds approved $190 million in 2024 for families and pregnant people eligible for Medicaid in state shelter, amounting to housing assistance for up to six months for those eligible.
- The temporary shelter assistance funding totals $647.5 million between 2024 and 2027.
- CMS also approved funding to temporarily house people who need to prepare for colonoscopies, help cover the cost of the ConnectorCare pilot and other health-related initiatives, per the letter.
Reality check: The federal funding alone won’t cover the state’s burgeoning shelter bill.
- Massachusetts is short $224 million on shelter spending in fiscal 2024, and lawmakers haven’t reached a deal on a bill that’s supposed to cover the cost.
- Meanwhile, the state estimates the shelter crisis will cost at least $915 million in fiscal 2025, about $590 million more than the state can afford.
Zoom in: The feds require that families meet with case managers and develop a plan to transition to permanent housing.
- The approval enables state workers to connect people in shelter with health care and other supportive services, Tsai wrote in the letter.
