Liz Bewsee says, "In the last month I've probably seen 5 homeless families come through here wanting to know how to get shelter and where to go and what do they have to do, things like that and you could double that for single homelessness."

Liz Bewsee works for Arise in Springfield, an organization that helps homeless people find a place to stay. Something that's become harder to do.

Bewsee says, "All shelters in Massachusetts are now run by the state and they are all state funded which means you have to have a referral to the shelter by the state."

Families can't stay in a typical dormitory-style shelter. A parent and children must be housed in a more-private "family shelter". The state Department of Transitional Assistance makes the placement.

Bewsee says, "If there are no shelter beds and if it looks as though your going to be eligible for shelter then the department of transitional assistance has to put you up in a motel in your community."

The number of homeless families in motels has increased across the state from fewer than 10 a year ago, to more than 500 today.

Bewsee says, "We're always getting phone calls about shelter for families, for children, for single people, and it's just going to get worse."

What makes it even harder for families to find shelter is that children are not allowed into single shelters which means often times they are left on their own to put a roof over their heads until something opens up.