Please read below for the analysis of the Senate Ways and Means budget and suggested advocacy by the Mass. Coalition for the Homeless:
Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means (SWM) unveiled its fiscal year 2015 budget recommendations for the Commonwealth. This $36.25 billion budget marks the next step on the path to developing the state budget for the fiscal year that will begin on July 1st. Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. will be the deadline for Senate members to file amendments to the SWM budget, with the Senate budget debate scheduled for next week.
Please see the sections below and here for preliminary information on the Senate Ways and Mean’s budget proposals for housing, shelter, homelessness prevention, and cash assistance programs, as well as some information on relevant amendments. Please take action today on the known amendments, and stay tuned in the week ahead for a more detailed analysis and additional information about amendments.
As this is only the next of several proposals on the way to the final FY’15 budget, your voice will be critical to helping to protect housing, homelessness, and safety net programs for families, individuals, and youth.
To learn more about the Coalition’s FY’15 budget priorities, please click here.
Thank you for advocating with us to protect and promote investment in these programs!
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| Senate Ways and Means FY’15 Budget Recommendations for Housing, Shelter, Homelessness Prevention, and Cash Assistance Programs
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Take Action Today!
1. Please ask your State Senator to support families, individuals, and youth experiencing homelessness and/or living in poverty by co-sponsoring the amendments listed above.
2. Please ask your State Senator to support the Coalition’s budget priorities throughout the budget debate, in particular, our requests to:
- Provide funding to identify, connect, house, and serve unaccompanied youth who are experiencing homelessness
- Expanding the safety net of shelter for families by providing access to Emergency Assistance shelter and Seven Day Temporary Emergency Accommodations to those families at imminent risk of having to stay in places not meant for human habitation and other families facing dangerous situations.
- Remove the 12-month bar on families re-accessing shelter if they only received a provisional placement pending verification.
State Senators can be reached through the State House switchboard:617-722-2000, or directly through the numbers listed here: Directory of Senators.
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