Massachusetts to close all migrant hotel shelters amid scathing audit

Why it matters: Healey's announcement that she'll close the hotel shelters six months ahead of her original end-of-year deadline came less than a day before a state audit showed "improper and unlawful no-bid emergency procurements" and "excessive costs" in the shelter system.

Catch up quick: The number of hotel shelters has dropped from 100 in the summer of 2023 to 32.

• The shelter population has dipped below 5,000 families for the first time since July 2023 and is expected to go lower.

Zoom in: State Auditor Diana DiZoglio's report flagged mismanaged contract issues, no-bid contracts for food and transportation services, overpayments on nearly 10% of food deliveries, missing documentation and poor oversight of subcontractors.

Between the lines: The shelter system's contraction follows Healey's implementation of stricter requirements for families seeking housing, including proof of lawful immigration status and six-month state residency.

What they're saying: Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy rebuked Healey's management of the shelter system.

• In a statement, he claimed he "warned then-Governor-Elect Maura Healey that failing to address the looming migrant crisis before it escalated would lead to large-scale problems."

The bottom line: Healey frames the early hotel closures as a success, but DiZoglio's audit reveals significant administrative failures that could haunt Healey's reelection bid.

• Even with the migrant crisis abating, expect Healey's GOP opponents next year to focus heavily on what happened under her watch in 2023 and 2024.