Chelsea family faces uncertain future as Massachusetts shelter system nears capacity
CHELSEA - Difficult is an understatement for Ruth Artica, but that is the word she uses as she faces homelessness with her husband and four children in another month.
She speaks through an interpreter at La Colaborativa in Chelsea. "All she's ever known is living with family and that's what makes her nervous. She's very stressed about the whole situation," said Donna Mitria who is working with families at La Colaborativa to help them find housing.
It's a situation that became more dire when a judge sided with Governor Maura Healey that the shelter system is overburdened. The ruling allowed her to impose a cap of 7,500 families in the state's emergency shelter system which could be reached soon.
Ruth and her family would have to be waitlisted for housing with no guarantees. "We're not sure how long it will take for spaces to open up, what the turnover is going to be for existing families in the shelter system," said Mitria.
Ruth has been evicted three times in the 10 years since she came to the U.S. from Honduras, most recently from a Chelsea triple-decker where the landlord broke her lease saying repairs had to be done. She's living with a niece but has to soon move out due to overcrowding and another apartment is barely affordable. "She's hoping for some help from the state," Mitria said. "Sometimes things happen and families need the support."
If no cap was imposed it's estimated some 13,500 families would be in the emergency shelter system in the coming months, leaving advocates to worry how many will have the door closed to them and where will they go.
"Those families deemed ineligible have doubled or tripled up with families and friends, staying in cars, campgrounds, transit stations or going back to abusive situations," said Kelly Turley with the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless.
Advocates hope the state will at least consider a large safe gathering place for shelter similar to Fort Devens which was opened temporarily last November for an influx of migrant families.
"She said she would never give up hope," said Donna Mitria.
Governor Healey calls it a tough decision, but for Ruth Artica it's a decision that's left her with few options.
