Thanks to the Mass. Coalition for the Homeless for this legislative update:
Two nights ago, the House of Representatives finished its three-day debate of amendments to the House Committee on Ways and Means’s (HWM) fiscal year 2014 budget recommendations.
Through the debate process, some progress was made, but much more work remains ahead of us. Please see the sections below for information on the outcomes of key amendments related to housing, shelter, homelessness prevention, and cash assistance programs.
Thank you for all of your advocacy so far. Please thank your State Representative if she/he is listed as an amendment sponsor/co-sponsor. Please also ask your State Senator to express their strong support for these programs to Senate leadership.
As we move closer to the final FY’14 budget, your voice will be critical in helping to protect housing, homelessness, and safety net programs for both families, individual adults, and youth.
To learn more about the Coalition’s FY’14 budget priorities, please
click here.
Thank you for advocating with us to protect and promote investment in these programs!
Outcomes for Key House Budget Amendments on Housing, Homelessness, and Cash Assistance Programs
1. Emergency Assistance Family Shelter and Services Program (line item 7004-0101)
Key Amendment Information:
Representative Kay Khan filed Amendment #585 (fact sheet) to add language to the EA line item so that families who are at imminent risk of staying in places not meant for human habitation are able to access shelter before having to actually stay in such places. The amendment also clarifies that families who otherwise meet the EA eligibility criteria who have been forced to stay in 3 or more places in the last 30 days can qualify under the “irregular housing” sub-category if they have nowhere else to go. Please thank your Representative if she/he is on this list of co-sponsors:
Representatives Khan of Newton, Malia of Boston, Devers of Lawrence, Koczera of New Bedford, Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield, Kocot of Northampton, Hecht of Watertown, Balser of Newton, O’Day of West Boylston, Canavan of Brockton, Swan of Springfield, Walsh of Boston, Kaufman of Lexington, Provost of Somerville, Smizik of Brookline, McMurtry of Dedham, Toomey of Cambridge, Forry of Boston, Fox of Boston, Sciortino of Medford, Garballey of Arlington, Decker of Cambridge, Madden of Nantucket, Diehl of Whitman, Gordon of Bedford, Rogers of Cambridge, Gregoire of Marlborough, Andrews of Orange, Brady of Brockton, Cronin of Easton, Sannicandro of Ashland, Rushing of Boston, Lawn of Watertown, Scibak of South Hadley, Cabral of New Bedford, Arciero of Westford, and Kocut of Northampton
Amendment Outcome:
Unfortunately, this amendment language was not included in Consolidated Amendment D on Housing and Social Services or in the final House budget.
2. HomeBASE Program (line item 7004-0108)
Key Amendment Information:
Representative Byron Rushing filed Amendment #649 to address current and anticipated problems with the HomeBASE program, which serves families experiencing homelessness and provides rental and household assistance. The amendment would 1.) extend the HomeBASE rental assistance time limit to 36-months from the current 24-month limit; 2.) allow EA shelter access for families who will be unable to sustain their tenancies after their HomeBASE subsidies end; 3.) allow families timing out of the HomeBASE rental assistance program to access RAFT homelessness prevention resources or HomeBASE household assistance, if needed; 4.) affirm HomeBASE families’ priority status for state-funded affordable housing resources; and 5.) require DHCD to track and report on the number, status, and outcomes for HomeBASE families. Please thank your Representative if she/he is on this list of co-sponsors:
Representatives Rushing of Boston, Honan of Boston, Sciortino of Medford, Kocot of Northampton, O’Day of West Boylston, Hecht of Watertown, Gordon of Bedford, Malia of Boston, Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield, Stanley of Waltham, Brady of Brockton, Andrews of Orange, Fox of Boston, Reinstein of Revere, Provost of Somerville, Gobi of Spencer, Garballey of Arlington, Sannicandro of Ashland, Decker of Cambridge, Rogers of Cambridge, Sanchez of Boston, Canavan of Brockton, Basile of East Boston, Vega of Holyoke, Toomey of Cambridge, and Arciero of Westford
Amendment Outcome:
Unfortunately, this amendment language was not included in Consolidated Amendment D on Housing and Social Services or in the final House budget.
3. Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP, line item 7004-9024)
Key Amendment Information:
Representative Paul Donato of Medford filed Amendment #159 to increase funding for MRVP to $50 million. Please thank your Representative if she/he is on this list of co-sponsors:
Representatives Donato of Medford, Speliotis of Danvers, Kafka of Stoughton, Kaufman of Lexington, Smizik of Brookline, Kocut of Northampton, and Brady of Brockton
Representative Gloria Fox of Boston filed Amendment #491 to increase funding for MRVP to $60 million. Please thank your Representative if she/he is on this list of co-sponsors:
Representatives Fox of Boston, Devers of Lawrence, Forry of Boston, O’Day of West Boylston, Decker of Cambridge, Khan of Newton, Henriquez of Boston, Garballey of Arlington, Sciortino of Medford, Rogers of Cambridge, Hecht of Watertown, Sanchez of Boston, Henriquez of Boston, Arciero of Westford, Gobi of Spencer, and Kocut of Northampton
Amendment Outcomes:
Unfortunately, these amendments were not included in Consolidated Amendment D on Housing and Social Services or in the final House budget.
4. Unaccompanied Youth Homelessness Resources (via line item 4000-0300)
Key Amendment Information:
Representative Jim O’Day filed Amendment #503 to add $500,000 to the Executive Office of Health and Human
Services (EOHHS) administrative line item, 4000-0300. The funds would be used to 1.) pilot a survey of unaccompanied youth in 3-5 areas within Massachusetts and conduct youth outreach; 2.) fund 3-6 demonstration projects to identify service and housing models appropriate to support unaccompanied youth in their education and successful transition from childhood to adulthood; and 3.) fund a part-time staff person or consultant to oversee implementation, to analyze data, and to report to the Massachusetts Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Commission. Please thank your Representative if she/he is on this list of co-sponsors:
Representatives O’Day of West Boylston, Heroux of Attleboro, Andrews of Orange, Fox of Boston, Keefe of Worcester, Rogers of Cambridge, Sullivan of Fall River, Cronin of Easton, Kafka of Stoughton, Khan of Newton, Kocot of Northampton, Malia of Boston, Ehrlich of Marblehead, Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield, Gordon of Bedford, Hecht of Watertown, Swan of Springfield, Walsh of Lynn, Garballey of Arlington, Provost of Somerville and Scibak of South Hadley
Amendment Outcome:
We are happy to report that this amendment and $150,000 in funding were included in Consolidated Amendment I Human Services and in the final House budget! To see Representative O’Day’s comments on the inclusion of this amendment,
click here and go to minute 39:28.
5. Public Housing Authority Operating Subsidies (line item 7004-9005)
Key Amendment Information:
Representative Peter Kocut filed
to restore $2 million of the cut to public housing. Please thank your Representative if she/he is on this list of co-sponsors:
Representatives Kocot of Northampton, Scibak of South Hadley, Kafka of Stoughton, Fox of Boston, Dwyer of Woburn, Roy of Franklin, Galvin of Canton, Arciero of Westford, and D’Emilia of Bridgewater
Amendment Outcome:
We are happy to report that this amendment and full funding were included in Consolidated Amendment D on Housing and Social Services and in the final House budget.
6. Statewide Network of Furniture Banks (via line item 7004-0099)
Key Amendment Information:
Representative Jim O’Day filed Amendment #507 to secure $200,000 in funding to help support a statewide network of furniture banks to assist low-income households transitioning from homelessness into housing. Please thank your Representative if she/he is on this list of co-sponsors:
Representatives O’Day of West Boylston, Fox of Boston, Keefe of Worcester, Khan of Newton, Reinstein of Revere, and Walsh of Framingham
Amendment Outcome:
Unfortunately, this amendment language was not included in Consolidated Amendment D on Housing and Social Services or in the final House budget.
7. Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (line item 4403-2000)
Key Amendment Information:
Representative Tom Sannicandro filed Amendment #797 to continue to provide a $40/month rental subsidy to TAFDC program participants living in market rate housing. Please thank your Representative if she/he is on this list of co-sponsors:
Representatives Sannicandro of Ashland, Brady of Brockton, Canavan of Brockton, Cronin of Easton, Decker of Cambridge, Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield, Finn of West Springfield, Fox of Boston, Gregoire of Marlborough, Heroux of Attleboro, Keefe of Worcester, Khan of Newton, O’Day of West Boylston, Rogers of Cambridge, Sciortino of Medford, Smizik of Brookline, Swan of Springfield, Toomey of Cambridge, Lawn of Watertown, Balser of Newton, Cabral of New Bedford, and Kocut of Northampton
Amendment Outcome:
We are happy to report that this amendment was included in Consolidated Amendment D on Housing and Social Services and in the final House budget.
Representative Sannicandro also filed
Amendment #801 to provide an $80/month transportation allowance through the TAFDC line item for certain TAFDC participants.
His amendment would provide the funding to eligible participants who are engaged in approved work activities. (Currently, some transportation funds are available through the Employment Services Program line item.)
Please thank your Representative if she/he is on this list of co-sponsors:
Representatives Sannicandro of Ashland, Brady of Brockton, Cabral of New Bedford, Canavan of Brockton, Conroy of Wayland, Cronin of Easton, Decker of Cambridge, Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield, Finn of West Springfield, Forry of Boston, Fox of Boston, Gregoire of Marlborough, Hecht of Watertown, Keefe of Worcester, Khan of Newton, O’Day of West Boylston, Rogers of Cambridge, Sciortino of Medford, Smizik of Brookline, Swan of Springfield, Toomey of Cambridge, Walsh of Framingham, Walsh of Boston, Lawn of Watertown, and Kocut of Northampton
Amendment Outcome:
Unfortunately, this amendment language was not included in Consolidated Amendment D on Housing and Social Services or in the final House budget.
8. Transportation for Students Experiencing Homelessness (line item 7035-0005)
Key Amendment Information:
Representative Tom Stanley of Waltham filed
Amendment #590, which would increase funding to reimburse cities and towns for the costs incurred in providing transportation to students experiencing homelessness. The amendment would increase the funding to the initial FY’13 funding level of $11.3 million.
Please thank your Representative if she/he is on this list of co-sponsors:
Representatives Stanley of Waltham, Brady of Brockton, Gordon of Bedford, Sullivan of Fall River, Fox of Boston, Madden of Nantucket, Garballey of Arlington, Dwyer of Woburn, O’Day of West Boylston, Cronin of Easton, Gregoire of Marlborough, Balser of Newton, Lawn of Watertown, Walsh of Framingham, Khan of Newton, Sannicandro of Ashland, Decker of Cambridge Speliotis of Danvers, Arciero of Westford, and Garry of Dracut
Amendment Outcome:
Unfortunately, this amendment was not included in Consolidated Amendment A on Education and Local Aid or in the final House budget.
