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Heartbreaking, sickening stories from Massachusetts’ migrant-family shelters: ‘I did something really bad’
The Herald received the ‘Serious Incident’ reports through a public records request
Heartbreaking stories fill the pages of shelter “Serious Incident” reports obtained by the Herald. (Staff Graphic by Jeff Walsh)
Rick Sobey
By Rick Sobey | rick.sobey@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald
PUBLISHED: January 9, 2025 at 5:06 AM EST
Second of two parts
Sifting through the thousands of pages of “Serious Incident” reports from the Bay State’s migrant-family shelter program is a brutal read.
The huge trove of documents, which the Herald received through a public records request, detail heartbreaking and disturbing stories involving those in the state-funded emergency housing shelter system.
The Herald earlier this week reported on the release of this massive batch of reports from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. These troubling reports from the last few years come asGov. Maura Healey deals with the fallout from a big drug and fentanyl bust in a Revere migrant hotel.
Here’s a deeper dive into some of the “Serious Incident” reports in part two of the Herald’s special report:
A mother overdosed while three of her children were in the other room
“A small child answered the door and staff asked if everything was alright,” the report reads. “Despite the child’s affirmation, staff were able to see visible water on the rug.”
The child told the staff members that their mother was in the bathroom, and they should return later. There were three kids in the room, and the staff refused to leave.
“When they entered the bathroom, the water was running, the tub was overflowing, and (redacted) was nude in the tub,” the report reads. “Their attempt to communicate with her was unsuccessful. A 911 call was made when she appeared unresponsive. Police arrived on scene and remained in the room without staff for about 30 minutes.
“As soon as they were able to speak with mom, it became apparent she was under the influence of some kind of substance,” the report continues. “As she struggled to speak, she was barely able to walk and tried to throw people out of her room.”
She was arrested and brought to the hospital. The children were placed in the temporary care of their uncle.
Daughters were possibly being trafficked
A mother was “visibly distraught, sobbing,” telling staff that her daughters were being “picked up in a blue SUV by several adult Haitian males.”
“… at least on two occasions, the girls were gone for 3-4 nights,” the report reads.
When staff went to the hotel room to speak with the daughters, one of them said if she has to live with her mother, “I’d rather be back in Haiti.”
Children neglected, large knife on the floor as their mother slept
When staff went to the room, the children opened the door and their mother — who had a baby 10 days ago — was in bed sleeping.
“The children were in the room and on the floor was a huge knife and a gallon of milk,” the report reads. “There were dirty dishes on stove, counter and sink. The fridge was wide open also.”
Man dies from an overdose
A man’s girlfriend went to the front desk, saying she was concerned because her boyfriend had missed an appointment and wasn’t returning calls.
Staff conducted a wellness check and found the man “naked on the floor near the bathroom, unresponsive, and cold to the touch.”
Police and EMS arrived and pronounced him dead due to an overdose. There were warning signs for the overdose, as his children had been removed due to substance abuse issues.
Female raped
“Around 3 a.m., she heard several loud knocks on her apartment door. As she proceeded to open the door, the person forced himself into her apartment and raped her,” the report reads.
Multiple people tried to take their own lives
A neighbor reported that a resident “attempted to take his own life, by hanging himself from the ceiling on the 3rd floor porch. He also threatened to jump. The neighbor called 911, the police arrived immediately and talked him off the porch. The ambulance transported him to the hospital.”
Another report reads: “The client began to inform staff that people in the shelter were making fun of her, making her feel uncomfortable and calling her names… She also stated that she was being made fun of because she is also a single mom, and she is considered a prostitute for not being married… she began to cry and said, ‘I did something really bad.’ The staff asked if she could share what she had done, and the client stated she had taken medication to end her life… She also reported feeling hopeless and like she had no other options… she was admitted to the hospital for further evaluation.”