BOSTON (WWLP) - Lawmakers and emergency shelter commission members met on Tuesday to discuss how the state is handling the flood of migrant arrivals in Massachusetts. This commission was created in a supplemental budget in April and meets monthly to study how this program will function in the future. One commission member, who was appointed by Republican minority leaders, is western Massachusetts Senator Ryan Fattman. Fattman told 22News that he thinks the state should be focusing their assistance efforts more heavily on Massachusetts residents. "This was a program designed to help people who fall on bad times," said Fattman. "I don't think anyone ever intended for the right to shelter program to be a benefit for any individual in the world, and that's really what it's become." In addition to lawmakers, advocates attended the meeting to protest parts of the state's shelter system--like a 5-day stay limit in temporary shelters. 22News spoke to Housing and Homelessness lawyer Andrea Park about the impact of tightening regulations. "I think that until now the state has been providing space for families that have been arriving specifically from Haiti," said Park. "Until these restrictions were put into place and people were literally being pushed out onto the street I do think we were doing the best we could." Lawmakers and advocates both expressed that the shelter system needs change, although they disagreed about exactly which policies create issues. The emergency shelter system commission is tasked with delivering a report on ways to improve the struggling system by December 1. Local News Headlines Center in Tower Square named after Springfield leader Lawmakers call for safer correctional facilities in MA Westfield police seek public’s help identifying woman Loophole Brewing closes Springfield taproom, plans future WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.