The CommonThe CommonWBUR

Migrant families can no longer stay at Boston Medical Center overnight... now what?

14 min

Boston Medical Center has ended a policy that had allowed unhoused families, many of whom were recently-arrived migrants, to stay at the hospital overnight. This decision follows a record increase in the number of people seeking shelter at local medical centers without medical needs. On one night earlier this month, more than 130 people slept in a BMC lobby.

Boston Medical Center has ended a policy that had allowed unhoused families, many of whom were recently-arrived migrants, to stay at the hospital overnight. This decision follows a record increase in the number of people seeking shelter at local medical centers without medical needs. On one night earlier this month, more than 130 people slept on the floor of one of BMC's lobbies.

The hospital is now redirecting people to other facilities, including Logan airport, which is open around the clock, as families wait to find longer-term support. Advocates say the fallout from BMC's change in policy highlights gaps in the state's response to emergency shelter needs. WBUR Senior Health and Science Reporter, Gabrielle Emanuel, joins The Common with more.

Greater Boston’s daily podcast where news and culture meet.