The town of Stoughton says it is shouldering a unique struggle to manage an influx of migrant families and it is calling on the state for help.
The town sent a letter to Gov. Maura Healey stating this situation has become a burden on their resources and that while they understand other communities are also taking on the challenge, they believe they’re in a slightly different position.
The five-page letter signed by Town Manager Tom Calter details how the influx of migrants is impacting their budget, economic development, schools and the safety of the community.
Currently the town is housing more than 230 newly arrived migrant families.
“We’re the town doing the bull work of a city on this issue,” Calter said.
He says the migrant families are not to blame, but the lack of help from the Commonwealth.
“It’s time the state steps up and does its part,” Calter said.
His letter includes descriptions of how housing these families is going to affect the town’s yearly tax revenues, budget and economic development.
Migrants are currently being housed in the only two hotels in town.
“The room tax is about $600,000 a year, shelters don’t pay room taxes. So although in our fiscal 25-year budget we thought we would have an additional $600,000 in revenue, it stopped after the first 90 days,” the town manager explained.
Public safety was also mentioned, the letterstating the police and fire department are answering to non-emergency situations at the hotels and it takes up critical service for those emergency situations.
Just in the last two months the police department has responded to one of the hotels over 22 times for things like sore throats and noise complaints.
It’s also a strain to schools.
“It’s been costly, it’s been stressful. It’s stressful for these wonderful children. They are migrants. We have an obligation to them.” Dr. Joseph Baeta the Stoughton Schools Superintendent, said.
Currently, the school district has more than 80 newly arrived migrant students.
The superintendent says the state has promised them funds for taking them in but they have yet to receive anything.
He sent a letter to parents stating the district is facing financial pressures not only from this increase in enrollment but also, from federal relief aid expiring, high transportation expenses and services for English learners.
“That freeze has caused me to say no to everything that is not health and safety so that places a lot of stress that when there is and anticipation of a field trip and we were going to offset that field trip with $3,000, and you have a freeze going on that causes frustration.” Baeta said.
As of now the superintendent doesn’t expect any cuts with art or sports programs.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said they sent the district $70,000 – $1,000 per student, toward students staying in eligible emergency assistance shelters – of funds approved in January. They check eligible enrollment three times a year, with the most recent check done at the start of March, and more funding expected to go out soon.
A spokesperson for the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities said Stoughton is slated to receive some reimbursement from a new program aimed at helping communities who see a drop in hotel excise taxes.
