Please see these additional analyses of the Governor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2022 budget regarding its impact on housing and homelessness programs. It’s not too early to take action! Voice your concerns to Governor Baker about his proposed cuts by phone at 1-888-870-7770 or by email. A simple message will do: budget cuts to housing and homelessness programs that impact our most vulnerable residents during this time are not defensible.
You can read more here:
CHAPA Analysis
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute Analysis
Homes for Families Budget Update:
Below is a preliminary analysis of key line items in the Governor’s House 1 Budget.
Emergency Shelter Assistance (7004-0101)
Funded at $195,885,750, increase of $11,100,000 over FY2021 budget of $184,785,750
- This investment maintains a total of 98 ADA-accessible units annually at an estimated cost of $5.2 million.
- This relatively small increase, coupled with the various unknowns related to the Procurement, is especially concerning for EA providers who are long-overdue for rate increases. This proposed budget is not enough to cover the cost of increasing rates for all providers, which is more critical now, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the many increased costs resulting from it, than ever before.
Analysis courtesy of MA Law Reform Institute
- Retains language intended to protect many families and children from first having to prove they slept in a place not meant for human habitation before they can be eligible for shelter. Advocates continue to push for clarification about how this new language will be implemented so that children must not first sleep in cars, emergency rooms, or other inappropriate places before they can access shelter.
- Continues to allow families to maintain eligibility for EA until they exceed 200% of the federal poverty guideline for 90 consecutive days.
- Adds language directing DHCD to attempt to convert scattered site units to congregate units, and to generally reduce the number of scattered site units.
HomeBASE (7004-0108)
Funded at $25,970,612, a decrease of $3,088,006 over FY2021 budget of $29,058,618
- To support projected costs for 3,000 households
- Maintains the maximum assistance level in a 12-month period at $10,000
Analysis courtesy of MA Coalition for the Homeless
- Maintained the one-year cap on HomeBASE benefits, which would mean that many families participating in the short-term transitional housing program would face evictions and a return to homelessness without alternative interventions and resources.
Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (7004-9024)
Funded at $135,000,000,the same as the FY2021 budget of $135,000,000
- To support an estimated 9,771 vouchers in FY22, an increase of 42% compared to FY15
Analysis courtesy of MA Coalition for the Homeless
- $122,645,860 in direct appropriations combined with additional funds from outside the operating budget. As the Governor said in budget press conference and in budget summary documents, total funding would be $135 million. Anticipate that the additional funds will be drawn from unspent MRVP funds from FY21.
Analysis courtesy of MA Law Reform Institute
- Continues the provision in previous budgets setting the MRVP income limits at 80% of area median (“low-income”) and allowing DHCD to target up to 75% of the vouchers to extremely low-income households with incomes of not more than 30% of area median. Maintains the current language requiring each household to pay at least 30%, but not more than 40%, of income for rent; however, House 1 allows households, at their option, to pay more than 40% of income for rent, provided that amount is not more than 40% of the household’s income in the first year of occupancy.
- The Governor’s budget again proposes to remove the requirement in the current and previous budgets that DHCD report to the Legislature on MRVP utilization, including the number and average value of rental vouchers distributed. House 1 omits the requirement in the current budget that DHCD must submit an annual report to the Secretary of Administration and Finance and the Legislature on the number of outstanding vouchers and the number of types of units leased.
