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Holyoke’s unsheltered homeless count hits new record as threats to federal aid loom

by Hallie Claflin February 6, 2026February 6, 2026

The state and federal funding landscape continues to shift while homelessness in Western Massachusetts has reached unprecedented levels in the aftermath of the pandemic. Holyoke had the highest unsheltered count in all of Hampden County this year, according to preliminary numbers.

State House News Service

Providers seek $115 million to care for homeless adults

by Alison Kuznitz | State House News Service February 3, 2026February 19, 2026

Individuals without children do not have the same emergency housing protections as families do under the state’s Right to Shelter Law, said Michael Libby, executive director of the Somerville Housing Coalition. Funding streams are also different for individual homelessness supports and the emergency assistance family shelter system, which previously saw exploding costs amid a surge of migrant arrivals.

State Government

Healey expands scope of shelter law shakeup

by Sam Doran | State House News Service January 15, 2025January 15, 2025

Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday recommended statutory changes to the decades-old Right to Shelter Law.

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