Mariano patience running thin on emergency shelter funding

HOUSE SPEAKER Ron Mariano, who is trying to keep the Healey administration on a short leash when it comes to the emergency shelter system, indicated that this year’s presidential and congressional  elections may determine whether the program continues or not.

Mariano on Wednesday unveiled the House’s fiscal year 2025 budget proposal, which includes $500 million for the operation of the emergency shelter system. The original budget for the system this year was $325 million, but the cost has ballooned to well over $900 million as the program, which provides housing to homeless families and pregnant women, has been overwhelmed by an inflow of migrants from other countries.

Mariano and his budget chief, Rep. Aaron Michlewitz of Boston, acknowledged the House’s proposed funding for the coming fiscal year is probably about half what is needed, but they indicated they wanted to force a reevaluation of the situation after roughly six months.

“Being an eternal optimist, things could change,” Mariano said. “Things could change next year and we want to maintain as much control over this process as we can.”

The Quincy Democrat added: “I’m always hopeful that something happens in Washington that brings maybe not a solution but a tightening of the immigration systems.” He indicated, however, that his patience in waiting for Washington to address the immigration issue is not infinite.

“We made a commitment to fund this and we will fund it as best as we can,” he said. “As the funds begin to dry up and we continue to get bills that are projected to be close to $1 billion a year without any help from Washington, I think there is a point in time that you can’t fund this. I don’t know when that will be and I’m not about to make a prediction on that. But we have an election coming up. Hopefully common sense returns to Washington and we either get a policy that works or we get some financial help.”

The House’s fiscal 2025 budget plan for emergency shelter taps $325 million in state funds and $175 million from an escrow account of surplus state funds from previous years. The Healey administration and the Senate want to tap the entire surplus funds account to provide enough money to deal with the budget deficits this fiscal year and next year, but the House is balking at that approach.