by “Blanche Belvidere”

Hold the phone!

Do people even say that anymore? Blanche is sleep-deprived and underfed, so what better use of my time and frustration than to jump back into the fire?

In light of recent news, many people have gotten their panties in a knot about the “alleged” takeover of the ICC in downtown Lowell. There are arguments for and against it; some don’t give a crap either way. I’ve heard it should only be used for housing homeless veterans, that migrants shouldn’t be allowed at all, UMASS sucks, Marty Meehan is wheelin’ and dealin’, and that it should be used to house ALL homeless families.  My thought on all of this is: Yup.

Some have cited the laws and rights of those seeking asylum, immigration rules currently in place, and that the state’s EA Shelter system is explicitly reserved for homeless families or pregnant women. Again, I say…yup.

What people are unaware of is what is REALLY going on.

None of this is new, guys and dolls – the migrants have been coming here and filling our family shelters for the past few years. Many of you are just hearing about it now because there are so many that the shelter system has been exhausted. Hence the need for hotel space. Which also began a few years ago.  But more and more keep coming, increasing the need and stretching our resources further.

Nearly every town in the state has had hotels taken over. Lowell isn’t unique.  Are they being utilized for just migrants? Sometimes. We have to have a few rooms available for our MA residents, right?  Welcome Centers have been opened in several places, such as Devens and other locations. These are typically short-term locations where the migrants go with their families after entering the state until they are found a more permanent placement.

Asylum seekers…hmm. Many of these migrants have been traveling for a long time. Leaving whatever country they started in and going to another. Some have a child or two in each country. Then, they make their way to the US and ultimately come to MA – the only right-to-shelter state.  There are TikTok videos to help these people find their way into MA and what they should do or say to get assistance. It’s very well planned out, in my opinion.

There is a system in place for families seeking emergency shelter. The problem is that when one enters a right-to-shelter state and doesn’t have the documentation or meet the qualifications required for the emergency shelter process, they sort of jump ahead under the somewhat blurred “seeking asylum” laws. And as we’ve discussed, the key to emergency shelter placement is to have children or be pregnant.  The single migrants are on their own. Advocacy groups and others may provide services to them. Many have been here for a long time. But the truth is that being pregnant is the key to accessing shelter. I’m certainly not against someone wanting to leave their home country because it sucks – I’ve been trying to find a way to get the hell out of this country for quite a few years.

Here’s the problem – an increase in people and a decrease in resources. More children in already packed schools. Lack of affordable housing. Unskilled workers in low-paying jobs.  In some cultures, the women don’t work, so you have a family of 4 or 5 with one income. How long does a family stay in a shelter? You now have more families than there are apartments. Shit, people that have been working full time for most of their lives can’t afford an apartment for their family these days, let alone buy a house. And that’s often with two incomes. They may get an apartment, make it work for a while, or utilize rental assistance programs. Eventually, that funding runs out, the landlord raises the rent, and now there’s an eviction. Back to square one.  And no, ADUs are not the answer to this.  You’d need to build hundreds at a below-market rate. Is anyone seeing the disastrous cycle here? And it’s not about migrants. This affects all people. MA residents from all walks of life are facing these same difficulties.

My questions are: What happens when all these new locations are full? Will we suddenly have a massively increased affordable housing inventory to transition everyone?

I doubt it, not in a year, not in 5 years.

Will we miraculously pay every worker a wage that allows them to live and provide for their families on one income in this state? I’m confident we aren’t taking a time machine back to the 1950s, although many still hold those ideals. I shudder at the thought!

This is why the Governor requested the excellent people of MA to take families into their homes. To try and lessen the burden.  I have yet to see any do-gooders take on that challenge.  At least not locally.  Maybe one or two have – but then what? How long do they stay with a host family? So many were crowing about our current MA resident homeless population for the past year –  either put up or shut up. It’s your time to shine!

Yet, many have gone silent on that subject. Some have tried to turn it into an “everyone’s racist” war.  No doubt some are.  But this runs much deeper than that. It’s a bit of a weak excuse for not wanting to face reality. Maybe calling everyone racist just makes people feel better about their own ignorance.  I’ve always believed anyone can write a check or attend a charitable fundraiser. But giving of your time and yourselves has much more impact.

Frankly, I have zero faith in our government and am not afraid to admit it. They are famous for pissing on your leg and telling you it’s raining. Furthermore, most politicians drive around frantically to attend every event on a particular day and schmooze for 10 minutes until the photo op. Gotta stay relevant somehow, amiright?

I’ve been reading about a few State Representatives speaking up.  More should follow their lead across the state and be very vocal about this current crisis.  The Governor had zero information about this when she met with the House. What is the plan, Maura Healey?!   Without a doubt, most politicians from the State to the Congressional level haven’t a clue about how our own EA Shelter system works.  Perhaps they should take a break from ribbon-cutting and flag-raising ceremonies and do their homework. Or better yet, put the boots on the higher-ups for some answers.  Do we pay them to work or to be social butterflies?

Wait a minute, Cawley Stadium would be an excellent location for a temporary shelter for migrants, and the National Guard could build and run that show with no problem!  WHAT? IN BELVIDERE??  Where there’s a…a golf course?! And a whole lotta white people with money? No, no, no. Better off downtown. This sounds oddly familiar. If that suggestion gets proposed, those “philanthropists” will pen a very different letter to the local press. It’s cool, I can read between the lines.

It’s a huge mess that I don’t see improving anytime soon. It’s not just a migrant issue. It’s a multi-layered systemic problem that has snowballed over the years and needs fixing.  But knowing the state has a surplus of 45 million dollars A MONTH, I’m sure they will come up with something. (That’s sarcasm, people).