BOSTON, Mass. – Massachusetts is changing its emergency shelter system to address the system's capacity constraints, lower costs and protect the financial sustainability of the system, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced Tuesday. 

Beginning Aug. 1, families will be prioritized for placement in emergency assistance shelters if they're homeless because of a no-fault eviction, or because of sudden or unusual circumstances, like a flood or fire.

Families with veterans, someone with significant medical needs, a newborn child, or a member who is at risk of domestic violence, will also be prioritized.

State Senator Robyn Kennedy said she doesn't agree with the changes, and is hopeful the state can help people. 

"Regardless of how we define whether a family is homeless or not, whether no matter how we define our priority list, if families are here and they're unsheltered, they're going to exist somewhere,” said Kennedy. “And so, we need to find that somewhere. And again, I reiterate, we can do so in a way that is not only compassionate, but way more cost-effectively than we're doing it today."

Other families will qualify for five-day stays at new temporary respite centers in Cambridge, Chelsea, Lexington and Norfolk.

Gov. Maura Healey said Massachusetts is out of shelter space and the state cannot afford the current size of the system.

Mass GOP said the changes come "too little, too late."