This alert from last week is being re-posted because there is still time to contact your State Representative to urge them to co-sponsor our key housing/homelessness amendments (Reps can still sign on to co-sponsor up until the time it is being debated). Please read on and call or email today!
You can find your State Representative(s) HERE (if your agency covers multiple districts, contact them all!)
Below or HERE are the list of the Network’s priority amendments, adopted in consultation with our Network Steering Committee and our statewide partners. Feel free to copy and paste and write a simple email of “Thanks for considering co-sponsorshop of these critical budget amendments. We appreciate your support!”
Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness Priority Amendments for the HWM FY23 Budget
#78 (Rep. Sabadosa) – Western MA Network to End Homelesness (WMNEH) – to continue the WMNEH earmark funding of $75,000
#1268 (Rep. Moran) – Housing Protections – to extend Chapter 257 eviction protections to cases where landlords seek to recover arrears for non-payment of rent and require landlords to participate in the rental assistance process in good faith before being permitted to file an eviction case in court.
#1371 (Rep. Decker) – Rental Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) – to expand eligibility to households with incomes from 50% of the area median income (AMI) up to 60% AMI; affirmatively ensure upstream access to benefits; direct DHCD to authorize 4 months of forward rent payments and stipends to otherwise eligible applicants
#241 (Rep. Sabadosa, Rep. Malia): Safe Havens – to increase funding for the Safe Havens shelter program by $2.5 million
#881 (Rep. Madaro) – Mass. Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) – to cap tenant rent share at 30% instead ofo 40%; shift to a payment standard model to allow mobile subsidy holders greater autonomy and opportunity in choosing where to rent; and expand mobile vouchers to cover tenant-paid utilities
#399 (Rep. Barber) – HomeBASE – to increase benefits to $15,000 for every 12 month period; allow benefits of $30,000 up to 24 months; removes the income increases as terms for ineligibility
#494 (Rep. O’Day) – Unaccompanied Youth Experiencing Homelessness – to increase the allocation from $8.5 million to $10 million
#360 (Rep. Duffy, Rep. González) – Cliff Effect Pilot – to eliminate the Cliff Effect and create the pilot program outlined in H.208
#1068 and #1070 (Rep. Peake) – Regional Transit Authority (RTA) – to increase funding to $101 million in RTA base funding
Let’s get Western Massachusetts heard!
