News from Joe Finn, of the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance–
This morning, I received a call from Governor Patrick. He plans to restore the funding he cut from the Homeless Individuals Assistance line item (7004-0102) as part of his 9C cuts in October. To avoid additional cuts to the Executive Branch, the Administration will use $82 million from a one-time tax settlement the state Department of Revenue (DOR) agreed to this week and $37 million in above benchmark revenue collections reported by DOR this week. The Governor also plans to file a supplemental budget that will address funding for homeless shelters across the Commonwealth. Click here to visit the Governor’s Web site and view the press release.
Thank you for responding to our call to advocacy. Because of your support and Governor Patrick’s decision, homeless individuals will be spared this winter. We are grateful to Governor Patrick for restoring this important resource and for your commitment to our poorest and most vulnerable neighbors.
