BOSTON - Gov. Maura Healey is still reeling weeks after Congress shot down a bill that would provide funding to states housing an influx of migrants and tightening restrictions at the border.

Healey told reporters Monday that she is asking for federal help, but has low expectations.

“I’m also not holding out hope," she said. "I’m a realist here."

Healey was in Washington D.C. last week at the winter meeting for the country’s governors, and she talked a lot about it with other sates having similar issues.

“It's a challenging situation," Healey said. "We continue to have the cap in place. We continue to have the wait list. And, you know, we're going to continue to try to work as best we can on this issue. I've tried to be clear with the public about the fact that we're at capacity here. It's a frustration I share with other governors.”

The governor’s administration worked with the federal government late last year to push work permits though for migrant families, and it was a big success. Leah Bradley, the CEO of the Central Mass Housing Alliance, said it makes an incredible difference getting families back on their feet.

“The families that we were working with, once they got their work authorization, they got employed in with local employers within three weeks," Bradley said. "That was probably right around January, and now they're looking for housing. Most of them are on track. They're able to be self-sufficient pretty quickly.”

As of Monday, the state’s wait list is at 775 families waiting for emergency shelter placement. The state has been scrambling to come up with temporary shelters to help families get out of the cold while they wait.