Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) is being accused of quietly shifting the financial burden of migrant shelter closures onto a little-known housing program that provides eligible illegal immigrant families with at least $30,000 in rental assistance spread over two years.
The HomeBASE program, originally launched to help families at risk of homelessness, has expanded dramatically.
According to state data reported by the Boston Herald, funding for the initiative is expected to soar to $97 million for fiscal year 2025—up from only $9.5 million in 2022.
During that same period, enrollment jumped from fewer than 1,500 families in early 2023 to over 7,700 by spring 2025—marking a more than fourfold increase.
Under current policy, families can receive $30,000 in assistance spread over 24 months.
While some participants qualified for a third year of funding, capped at an additional $15,000, state officials ended that third-year extension as of July.
Massachusetts Republican Party Chair Amy Carnevale slammed the move, accusing the Healey administration of obscuring the full costs of the migrant crisis.
“Taxpayers are giving migrant families nearly limitless free rental assistance,” she told Fox News Digital. “Meanwhile, federal action means these families won’t be receiving work permits anytime soon.”
“The migrant shelter crisis is not over, and cost-shifting is not leadership.”
She further described the program as “shelters by another name” and questioned its oversight.
“Healey should rip off the Band-Aid and tell the public whether these same oversights are occurring in the HomeBASE program,” she said.
“The abuse of taxpayer dollars, coupled with a stunning lack of oversight by Maura Healey and her administration, will define her legacy as governor.”
Responding to the criticism, Healey’s office pushed back on the claim that illegal immigrants are benefiting from HomeBASE.
“Every family must have legal status and prove Massachusetts residency to be in the HomeBASE program. Governor Healey is the first Governor to require that,” a spokesperson said.
“In fact, HomeBASE has been operated for over a decade, including under the prior Republican administration.”
The administration added that new eligibility requirements were added under Healey to boost accountability and ensure the program complies with legal standards.
However, critics argue the governor’s focus on expanding aid to illegal immigrants—some without clear work authorization—is coming at the expense of millions of struggling Massachusetts citizens.
This has raised serious questions about priorities and whether taxpayer dollars are being spent in an “America First” manner.
Jon Fetherston, a former shelter director who previously spoke out about alleged criminal activity within the shelter system, said the program is failing to create stability.
“Instead of creating stability, HomeBASE has become a revolving door of short-term rental assistance,” he said.
Fetherston pointed out that families often burn through most of their rental aid on upfront move-in costs and find themselves unable to keep up with housing expenses soon after.
“The Healey Administration’s expansion of the HomeBASE program was sold to the public as a solution, one that would save money, reduce shelter dependence, and help migrant families become self-sufficient,” he said.
“But the reality is far different. HomeBASE is now a bloated, mismanaged program that’s failing both the taxpayers who fund it and the migrants it claims to help.”
He criticized the program for costing taxpayers nearly $100 million without clear results or transparency, warning that savings from closing shelters are being replaced by unchecked spending, setting up failure rather than support.
WATCH:
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Author: Gloriel Howard
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