Well, at least Massachusetts funds the use of motels to place folks. Tennessee is still arguing over whether to allow Tent Cities. Meanwhile, the camps that exist are exploding, and there's no end in sight....
Homeless use of motels still on rise
The number of homeless families living in motels funded by the state now tops more than 1,000, a dramatic 37 percent increase since June 1, a top official for the state Department of Housing and Community Development said yesterday.
Tina Brooks, undersecretary of the department, said 1,010 families - including more than 1,400 children - are now living in motels, at a monthly cost of about $2.8 million for taxpayers.
“It’s a huge strain,’’ said Brooks after a hearing of the joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
Brooks spoke to the committee to detail the transfer of the state’s family and individual emergency shelter system from the Department of Transitional Assistance to the housing department. The July 1 change was approved this year to help the state focus on housing solutions for the homeless.
The recession, high unemployment, and continuing foreclosure crisis are forcing more families to seek help. The state has been placing families in motels since 2007, when the 2,000 rooms in the homeless shelter system reached capacity.
Cont.
