Snowstorm impacts, threats to Housing First program, rising utility costs

By Carrie Saldo

Published January 30, 2026 at 11:10 AM EST

Ways To Subscribe

1 of 2 — grove.png

This week's panel for The Rundown includes Hallie Claflin [not pictured], reporter for Commonwealth Beacon; Dave Eisenstatder [not pictured], state editor for MassLive; Ryan McCollum, political consultant for RMC Strategies; and NEPM’s own Monte Belmonte of The Fabulous 413.

Ayu Suryawan / NEPM

2 of 2 — PXL_20260126_202039081.jpg

Plows cleared and re-cleared snow, after at least a foot of snow was dropped on western Massachusetts between January 25 and 26, 2026.

Jill Kaufman / NEPM

The state’s largest snowfall in four years hit 413 hard earlier this week. We plow through the impact of the storm on cities, residents and workers.

And, the Trump administration is targeting the government's primary program to address homelessness, and the effects could have a big impact in western Massachusetts cities.

Plus, we look at the rising costs of utility bills in the state and what it means for local energy users.

We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel, Hallie Claflin, reporter for Commonwealth Beacon; Dave Eisenstatder, state editor for MassLive; Ryan McCollum, political consultant for RMC Strategies; and NEPM’s own Monte Belmonte of The Fabulous 413.