The State Legislature passed its ARPA budget on Friday, December 3. Governor Baker has 10 days from passage to decide on any vetoes. The Conference budget proposes to invest roughly $600 million in housing programs including:
- Permanent Supportive Housing – $150 million
- Public Housing – $150 million
- Rental Housing Production – $115 million
- Homeownership Production – $115 million
- Homeownership Assistance – $65 million
- Green Energy Retrofitting – $6.5 million
Additionally, local earmarks include:
- $591,500 for Franklin County affordable housing and for public housing repairs (Sen. Comerford)
- $128,5000 for permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals in Northampton (Sen. Comerford)
- $75,000 for North Adams emergency non-congregate winter shelter (Sen. Hinds)
- $30,000 for domestic violence housing search in Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire Counties (Sen. Comerford)
- $25,000 for emergency winter non-congregate shelter in Franklin County (Sen. Comerford)
- $25,000 for emergency winter non-congregate shelter in Hampshire County (Sen. Comerford)
All together, this ARPA budget will provide a meaningful advance for Western Massachusetts and our entire Commonwealth in meeting our housing and homelessness crisis. We thank our entire Western Massachusetts delegation for their steadfast support and leadership to prevent and end homelessness in Western Massachusetts.
