The House Budget Debate Begins April 24 – Let’s Push Our Amendments!
Next week, the MA House of Representatives will debate and decide its proposed FY25 state budget. This is the time to be heard on our priority amendments.
The Network’s list is long because the Network’s 4-county reach is wide, and our statewide partnerships are deep. And frankly, the people we serve and the mission we aim to accomplish require every one (and many more) of these amendments. So let’s weigh in!
Please copy and paste this list below and send to your State Representative (you can find their contact info here) with an ask to “please support these amendments to the FY25 budget”:
Amendment #1100 (Rep. Sabadosa) forThe Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness to fund the Network’s coordinating efforts to prevent and end homelessness across Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire Counties ($100,000).
Amendment #790 (Rep. Decker) to strengthen the RAFT Program by: earmarking $10 million within the RAFT account to provide grants above the general cap to families and individuals when a higher grant is essential to resolve a housing crisis; prohibit EOHLC from imposing a notice to quit requirement on households seeking assistance with back rent; and require direct-to-tenant payments in cases where the landlord is not cooperative with the RAFT application and documentation process.
Amendment #1479 (Rep. Rogers) to strengthen theAccess to Counsel pilot program for people facing eviction to make a statewide pilot program; provide full legal representation; and create an advisory committee to help the MA Legal Assistance Corporation design the program.
Amendment #1075 (Rep. Uyterhoeven) to “prevent older adults from experiencing homelessness” through a short-term housing bridge subsidy program for low-income older adults, ages 60 and older, at risk of housing instability or homelessness. ($10 million).
Amendment #1106 (Rep. Sabadosa)to level fund the Safe Havens program for chronically homeless individuals ($1 million).
Amendment #26 (Rep. Hawkins)to restore language in the Home and Healthy for Good program to support systems change work to address individual homelessness in communities statewide.
Amendment #889 (Reps. Duffy and González) to expand the Cliff Effect pilot project, a three-year effort to ease a family’s transition off public assistance while securing sustainable employment ($100,000).
Amendment #737 (Rep. Barber) for “Improvements to HomeBASE” including: allowing families to renew HomeBASE benefits beyond 3 years if needed; allowing families to increase their income and stay in HomeBASE longer than 12 months, provide upstream access to benefits, allow households to maximize resources from RAFT, HomeBASE and other rental assistance programs and add language to carry over unspent FY24 funds into FY25.
Amendment #788 (Rep. Decker) to “Lift Kids Out of Deep Poverty” to increase cash assistance grants (and do this quick action here)
Amendment #667 (Rep. Consalvo) for the Alternative Housing Voucher Program ($500,000).
Amendment #1302 (Rep. O’Day) to prevent and end youth homelessness ($1.5 million).
Amendment #299 (Rep. O’Day) to provide free Mass IDs to youth and adults experiencing homelessness ($75,000) and establish fee waiver and documentation standards to access standard Mass IDs.
Amendment #660 (Rep. Owens) “Boston Area Youth – Cash Assistance For Stable Housing” (BAY-CASH) to create a pilot for direct cash assistance to unaccompanied youth and young adults who are experiencing homelessness that offers a promising model for replication in western MA ($100,000).
We’ll keep you posted as the debate unfolds. For now, thank you for bringing these asks to your State Representative!
