Dozens of families in Massachusetts face eviction from their emergency shelters

(WJAR) — 57 families could be evicted from emergency shelters in Massachusetts on Friday morning.

This is because a new policy limits some families' stay in a facility to just five days.

Governor Maura Healy says renters will receive resources and services to help them get back on their feet, but advocates argue that this is the beginning of a rocky road.

The state says the shelters are at full capacity and that migrants make up more than 50 percent of the system's population.

The new changes will prioritize Massachusetts residents who are in need, particularly families who have faced no-fault evictions, natural disasters or medical emergencies.

However, supporters say the government needs to give people more time to exit the system.

“The system raises a lot of questions about why this is happening to me,” explains Tim Scalona, ​​a housing activist from Massachusetts. “Where am I going to have housing for an extended period of time? Am I going to continue to have food to eat?”

Scalona was one of dozens who gathered outside the Massachusetts State House on Thursday to warn that families would be forced into the streets.

“We are very concerned about families who have nowhere else to go being left on the streets, in train stations or in cars,” said Kelly Turley of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless.

Meanwhile, Governor Healy insists that residents in emergency shelters will be provided with assistance during the transition.