Does Massachusetts' right to shelter law need to change?
BOSTON - Michael Dukakis was the longest serving governor in Massachusetts history. He signed many bills into law. But the law everyone is talking ...
BOSTON - Michael Dukakis was the longest serving governor in Massachusetts history. He signed many bills into law. But the law everyone is talking about these days is the "right to shelter" law, which Dukakis made a law in 1983. The law guaranteed emergency housing to homeless families and pregnant women. It did not include homeless individuals. In defining eligibility, the law said a "resident" was "any person in the Commonwealth, even if they didn't intend on staying permanently." It also said, "a person who comes here solely for these benefits would not be considered a resident.