The State Senate Ways and Means Committee released its proposed Fiscal Year 2024 yesterday. High points for housing and homelessness include:
- Making Chapter 257 eviction protections permanent, similar to the final House budget, which makes its final inclusion especially promising (subject to the Governor’s approval as well).
- Increasing funding for the RAFT program, the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP), the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP), and youth homelessness funding
- Expanding the Safe Havens program (24/7 case managed shelter with intensive services to support chronically homeless individuals with multiple challenges) – shout-out to our region’s Senator Jo Comerford for her leadership on this!
Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance produced this summary and CHAPA compiled the chart below (thank you to our partners!).
We will be reviewing the budget in more detail and will be in touch shortly with additional information, proposed amendments and next action steps in advance of the full Senate budget debate that will begin on May 23.
CHAPA’s FY24 Senate Ways and Means Budget Summary:
| Program | FY2024 Requests | SWM FY2024 Budget | House FY2024 Budget | FY2024 Gov’s Budget | FY2023 Budget |
| Mass. Rental Voucher Program | $250,000,000 | $179,597,023* | $173,247,567* | $168,247,567 | $154,000,000 |
| Alternative Housing Voucher Program | $26,000,000 | $16,863,078** | $14,108,528** | $14,108,528 | $13,685,355 |
| Residential Assistance for Families in Transition | $250,000,000 | $195,000,000 | $180,602,462 | $162,602,462 | $150,000,000 |
| Public Housing Operating | $184,000,000 | $107,000,000 | $102,000,000 | $92,000,000 | $92,000,000 |
| Housing Consumer Education Centers | $10,185,000 | $8,974,000 | $9,700,000 | $8,774,000 | $9,700,000 |
| Public Housing Reform | $7,700,000 | $1,250,000 | $2,200,000 | $2,200,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Home & Healthy for Good | $8,390,000 | $6,390,000 | $8,390,000 | $4,162,300 | $6,390,000 |
| HomeBASE | $60,000,000 | $39,570,445 | $42,070,445 | $42,070,445 | $59,411,201 |
| Foreclosure & Housing Counseling | $3,050,000 | $3,050,000 | $3,050,000 | $1,500,000 | $3,050,000 |
| Tenancy Preservation Program | $2,000,000 | $2,042,755 | $2,042,755 | $2,042,755 | $1,800,000 |
| MassAccess Registry | $150,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| Unaccompanied Homeless Youth | $12,000,000 | $11,000,000 | $10,545,850 | $10,545,850 | $9,500,000 |
| New Lease for Homeless Families | $250,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 |
| Access to Counsel Program | $7,000,000 | – | – | – | – |
* Includes language to carryover unspent funds from FY23 bringing total FY24 funding for MRVP to an estimated $199.5 million
** Includes language to carryover unspent funds from FY23 bringing total FY24 funding for AHVP to an estimated $26 million
