Since the release of the House Ways and Means Budget last week, several amendments have been filed regarding the EA and HomeBase program. Below is a summary produced by Homes for Families. Click here for analysis and recommendations from Massachusetts Law Reform Institute.
Now is the time to weigh in with your representative. Click here to find your legislator’s contact information.
Homes for Families Amendment Priorities
| Amendment Number: |
Lead Sponsor: |
Line Item: |
What the
Amendment Does: |
| 579 | Rep. Kay Khan | 7004-9024, Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) | Increases funding proposed for program from $36 million to $38.2 million |
| 666 | Rep. Gloria Fox | 7004-0108, Home BASE | Increases the 80% FMR cap to 100% FMR for all participants |
| 323 | Rep. Aaron Michlewitz | 7004-0108, Home BASE | Allows for families to exceed the 80% FMR cap if they are transitioning onto Home BASE from another short-term housing assistance program or are unable to secure a lease in a reasonable amount of time |
Homeless Services:
| 555 | Rep. Jim O’Day | 7004-0101, Emergency Assistance (EA) | Mandates that all homeless families placed in motels through the EA program begin to receive housing search assistance within 14 days of placement |
| 669 | Rep. Gloria Fox | 7004-0101, Emergency Assistance (EA) | Provides clarifying language for eligibility for EA until housing is secured through HomeBASE and units must accommodate size and disabilities of the families |
