Thanks to the Mass. Coalition for the Homeless for this update:
The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Patrick Administration are sitting down with Legislators to negotiate before implementing any plans to limit access to Emergency Assistance (EA) family shelter and temporary housing subsidies through the new HomeBASE program. Therefore, no changes will be implemented this week.
While some negative changes still may happen in the near future, we are grateful to you and the Legislature for putting the brakes on these changes. Please thank your legislators for weighing in.
While we thank all of the legislators who have been working to resolve these issues, we are especially grateful to the Chairs of the Joint Committee on Housing, Senator Jamie Eldridge and Representative Kevin Honan, and the Chairs of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, Senator Stephen Brewer and Representative Brian Dempsey, for their leadership.
As the negotiations process moves forward, our message to the Governor and legislators is the same. We are asking them to do all they can to retain access to housing and shelter for children and families experiencing homelessness.
Please click here to see yesterday’s alert with additional details and background information. We will be in touch again soon with further updates.
Thank you very much for your swift action. It is clear that your advocacy is making a difference!
-Kelly
Kelly Turley
kelly@mahomeless.org
781-595-7570 x17
Take Action!
1.) If you haven’t weighed in yet, please contact Governor Patrick’s office to ask him to do all he can to retain access to housing and shelter for children and families experiencing homelessness. This includes requesting adequate supplemental funding to avoid the need for restricting families’ access to Emergency Assistance and rehousing resources. The Governor’s office can be reached by phone at 1-888-870-7770 or 617-725-4005.
Additional contact information, including an email form, is available here.
2.) Please contact your State Representative and State Senator to ask for their support to protect families’ access to Emergency Assistance and HomeBASE and to provide adequate supplemental funding to make this possible. If you know that they have already weighed in with the Administration and legislative leadership, please thank them for their support.
Legislators can be reached through the State House switchboard: 617-722-2000, or directly through the numbers listed here: Directory of Representatives and Directory of Senators. To search for your legislator based on your address, please go to www.wheredoivotema.com.
Thank you for your advocacy!
Please contact Kelly Turley with any feedback on your conversations with lawmakers’ offices: kelly@mahomeless.org or 781-595-7570 x17.
