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Right to Shelter States 2024
- As of May 2024, Massachusetts was the only right-to-shelter/right-to-housing state in the country and its law only applied to families.
- New York City also has a right-to-shelter law, but it does not extend to the rest of the state.
- In both New York and Massachusetts, increasing participation in right-to-shelter programs in 2023 and 2024 have necessitated ongoing adjustments, such as the implementation of limits on the number of days individuals may remain in the program.
State | Right To Shelter States | Additional Details |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | Established 1983. Applies to only to homeless families and pregnant women. Additional restrictions m... | |
| Alabama | ||
| Alaska | ||
| Arizona | ||
| Arkansas | ||
| California | Although California lacks a true right-to-housing policy, the state does grant runaway children the ... | |
| Colorado | ||
| Connecticut | ||
| Delaware | ||
| District of Columbia | ||
| Florida | ||
| Georgia | ||
| Hawaii | ||
| Idaho | ||
| Illinois | ||
| Indiana | ||
| Iowa | ||
| Kansas | ||
| Kentucky | ||
| Louisiana | ||
| Maine | ||
| Maryland | ||
| Michigan | ||
| Minnesota | ||
| Mississippi | ||
| Missouri | ||
| Montana | ||
| Nebraska | ||
| Nevada | ||
| New Hampshire | ||
| New Jersey | ||
| New Mexico | ||
| New York | New York City recognizes a right to emergency shelter, established in the 1981 consent decree for Ca... | |
| North Carolina | ||
| North Dakota | ||
| Ohio | ||
| Oklahoma | ||
| Oregon | ||
| Pennsylvania | ||
| Rhode Island | ||
| South Carolina | ||
| South Dakota | ||
| Tennessee | ||
| Texas | ||
| Utah | ||
| Vermont | ||
| Virginia | ||
| Washington | ||
| West Virginia | ||
| Wisconsin | ||
| Wyoming |
- Right to housing - Wiki
- A Right to Shelter in New York - New York Times
- In New York and Massachusetts, Right to Shelter Is Under Attack - Nonprofit Quarterly
- NYC �right to shelter' ends at 30 days for some migrants in deal with advocates - NBC New York
- Homeless shelters in Massachusetts raise concerns as lawmakers consider historic limit to family stays - NBC News
- Should we repeal the state�s right-to-shelter guarantee? - Commonwealth Beacon
- Naming Housing as a Human Right Is a First Step to Solving the Housing Crisis - Housing Matters
- Is housing a human right? California voters could decide
- 7 things to know about Mass. �right-to-shelter� as budget vote looms - Mass Live