We’ve got almost 850 of us on this email list! If we each take 3 minutes to do these 3 things, western MA will MAKE AN IMPACT!
1. Email your Senator the Affordable Homes Act asks (click here for an easy copy and paste);
2. Do the one-minute action alert on the FY25 budget; and
3. Email your legislators on Access to Counsel described below.
IT’S PUSH TIME ON EVERYTHING!
On the budget: The Fiscal Year 2025 state budget is now in Conference Committee where the differences between the House and Senate budgets will be resolved. We need to urge the Committee to adopt our priorities, so go to this one-minute action alert (with thanks to the MA Coalition for the Homeless!) that will be sent to your state legislators and the Conference Committee members.
AND
Write your own email on Access to Counsel in Evictions, which the House funded for a $2.5 million pilot project. We need the Conference Committee to get it over the finish line in the final budget. So:
1. Write your own Senator and Rep (find contact info here) and say “I urge you to support House Line Item 0321-1800 to adopt a statewide Access to Counsel pilot program” (feel free to add your reasons why if inclined but it’s not necessary to make it count!)
2. Write Conference Committee members to urge them to do the same. You can send one email (same as above is just fine) to all Conference Committee members:
Senate Chair Michael Rodrigues, House Chair Aaron Michlewitz, Senate Vice Chair Cindy Friedman, House Vice Chair Ann-Margaret Ferrante, Senate Ranking Minority Member Patrick O’Connor, House Ranking Minority Member Todd Smola
For your ease to copy and paste in your “to” box, here you go:
michael.rodrigues@masenate.gov; aaron.m.michlewitz@mahouse.gov; Cindy.Friedman@masenate.gov; Ann-Margaret.Ferrante@mahouse.gov; Patrick.OConnor@masenate.gov; Todd.Smola@mahouse.gov
Finally, we need the Senate to include the transfer fee for affordable housing and eviction record sealing in their Affordable Homes Act. Go here to make it happen.
Thanks for your partnership!
