The Legislature will consider providing extra funding to help cover the cost of housing thousands of local and immigrant families, according to the Speaker, just as the state’s shelter system is set to reach capacity.

During a brief press conference held at the State House Monday afternoon, House Speaker Ron Mariano said that lower chamber lawmakers, on Wednesday, will discuss sending the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities more money to pay for housing the nearly 7,500 families currently living in state-provided shelters.

Mariano was not incredibly forthcoming with details regarding the House’s plans, only saying “yes” when asked if the lawmakers would consider some measure impacting the Emergency Assistance shelter system and that the proposal “includes money” but that the amount is “yet to be determined.”

Senate President Karen Spilka said the upper chamber is “taking a look at” the problem.

“We’ll get the bill from the House, and take it up in short order afterwards, and after discussions with the senators,” she said. “The request was for $250 (million) at this point. As I said before I believe as a state we need to help, but also definitely need help from the federal government. Congress needs to pass the funding that President Biden has asked for. Congress needs to pass immigration reform.”

The state’s shelter system is reaching its occupancy limit thanks to immigration policies at the federal level that, according to Gov. Maura Healey, bring 40 to 50 families who are in need of shelter to the state every day.

“As I have said for a long time: we have simply run out of infrastructure, personnel, service providers, and funding. I continue to call on the federal administration for support,” Healey said.

The federal government is allowing migrants to cross the border, while federal immigration and asylum laws simultaneously make it impossible for them to legally work right away. To make matters more complicated, the Commonwealth is required by state law to provide housing to families with children, regardless of their immigration status.

Part of the solution is getting families out of shelter and into permanent housing situations. Doing that will require the federal government to issue them work authorizations.

“If we get people working, we will quickly exit them from shelter,” Healey said.

As of Friday, there were 7,439 families enrolled in the state’s shelter system, which according to a declaration by the governor will accommodate no more than 7,500 families. Additional applicants will be added to a waitlist and contacted when shelter space is available.

According to EOHLC, 30 families joined the program from Thursday of last week into Friday. Healey has predicted the state will reach its shelter cap sometime this week, potentially as soon as Tuesday, when the count for the weekend and Monday will be released.

“We expect to reach capacity in the next day or so,” Healey said on Monday.

To put those numbers into perspective, around this time of year in 2021 there were fewer than 2,800 families in Emergency Assistance shelters. According to figures provided by the governor in September, at current use levels, the state’s shelter system is costing the Commonwealth about $45 million per month.

“We really need congressional action,” Healey said. “We also need help from the Biden Administration.”

Along with a bill to close out the state’s fiscal 2023 budget, Healey has proposed transferring $250 million in “one-time resources” for shelters from a transitional escrow account, and that’s on top of the about $325 million budgeted for the shelter system in fiscal 2024.

According to the most recent data released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in September of 2023 alone, “the U.S. Border Patrol recorded 218,763 encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border. CBP’s total encounters along the southwest border in September were 269,735.”