October 23, 2024:

• Invitation – RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details about our October meeting are here.

• Action alert – Participate in an online listening session this Friday to help shape the recommendations of the Emergency Assistance Commission, and more!

September 25, 2024: Invitation – RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details about our September meeting are here.

August 16, 2024: Invitation – Join us in person and online for more actions to protect the right to shelter. Details and RSVP form for August 19th and August 20th events

August 12, 2024: Invitation – Join us at the State House this Wednesday, August 14th, 7–8 p.m. for a candlelight vigil to protect access to shelter for children and families. More details below the online action on this page: https://mahomeless.org/protect-access-to-shelter/

August 3, 2024: Boston Globe Article: Shelter policy is cruel and harmful

August 2, 2024: Action alert: Join Us to Protect Families’ Access to Shelter

July 25, 2024: Invitation – Join us at the State House or in Springfield next Monday to protect access to shelter for children and families

July 24, 2024: Invitation – RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details about our July meeting are here.

July 5, 2024: Invitation – We are participating in the Target Circle program! You can vote for us and help direct Target’s giving to benefit the Coalition’s A Bed for Every Child program. Learn more and vote here now until September 30th: Target Circle

June 5, 2024: Invitation – Follow the House of Representatives debate on the housing bond bill: livestream link

June 4, 2024: Action alert – Please ask your State Rep to cosponsor and actively support key amendments to the housing bond bill

May 29, 2024:

• Action alert – Thanks for your advocacy in support of key FY25 Senate budget amendments!

• Invitation – RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details about our May meeting are here.

May 17, 2024: Advocacy opportunity – Please ask your State Senator to cosponsor and actively support Amendment 603 from Senator Pavel Payano to clarify the start date for Emergency Assistance Family Shelter time limits. Help ensure children and families have the additional time needed to secure housing before losing vital shelter benefits: Fact sheet and one-minute online action on this amendment and other key amendments

April 22, 2024: Invitation – RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details about our April meeting are here.

April 19, 2024: Action alert – Please sign our new one-minute online action to encourage your State Rep to cosponsor key FY25 budget amendments. Shareable link to our online action: https://mahomeless.org/fy25-house-amendments/

March 27, 2024: Invitation – RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details about our March meeting are here.

March 22, 2024: Invitation – Join us at the State House next Tuesday, March 26th for the Joint Committee on Ways and Means public hearing on the FY25 budget! If you would like to provide oral testimony to the committee, sign up here by Monday, March 25th at 5 p.m.

March 20, 2024: Action alert – Please ask your State Senator to cosponsor key amendments to the supp budget to better serve families experiencing homelessness

March 19, 2024: Thank you note/action alert – Thank you for being part of Legislative Action Day. Our advocacy together continues.

March 1, 2024: Invitation – Volunteer with us at the State House next Thursday at Legislative Action Day 2024! Learn more and sign up today to be part of our event-day team

February 27, 2024: Invitation – Join us tomorrow for our pre-event Legislative Action Day training and sign up to join us at the State House next Thursday

February 20, 2024: Invitation –  RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details about our February meeting are here.

January 24, 2024: Invitation –  RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details about our January meeting are here.

December 20, 2023: Action alert – Participate in our organizational sign-on letters on the new Emergency Assistance regs and procedures plus take action to support the Everyone Needs ID Mass ID access campaign

December 15, 2023: Advocacy opportunity – Weigh in with Housing and Livable Communities on their new Emergency Assistance family shelter regulations and guidance

December 13, 2023: Invitation –  RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details about our November/December meeting are here.

December 6, 2023: Action alert – Great news: The Legislature passed the supplemental budget and the Governor signed it into law!

December 1, 2023: Supplemental budget update: We are back at the State House today, encouraging legislators to do all they can to swiftly pass the compromise supplemental budget, which was released by House and Senate leadership yesterday. The compromise bill includes $250 million to address family homelessness issues as well as language to require the Administration at least one overflow shelter site for families who have been placed on the waiting list for longer-term shelter placements. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/right-to-shelter

November 21, 2023: Advocacy update – Thank you to everyone who joined us for our candlelight vigil at the State House and at local solidarity events to support children and families experiencing homelessness! 

• Vigil videos and photos: Google Photos album

• Keep up the pressure at the State House: Weigh in with State Legislators to push for swift passage of $250 million in supplemental funding for family shelters and services plus language to require the Healey Administration to create overflow shelter spaces to serve all families put on the Emergency Assistance family shelter waiting list. See our November 17th action alert for a call script and call details.

November 17, 2023:

• Invitation – Please join the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, and allied organizations for a candlelight vigil this Monday, November 20th, 4–5 p.m. in front of the Massachusetts State House to show support for families and children experiencing homelessness and to call on state leaders to establish overflow shelter sites for families on the waiting list for longer-term shelter placements. Read more here and RSVP here.

• Boston Globe letter to the editor from the Coalition – Mass. right-to-shelter law collides with harsh reality

November 6, 2023: Invitation – Please join us for a legislative briefing on the Mass ID access bill this Thursday, November 9th!

October 25, 2023: Invitation –  RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details here.

October 24, 2023: Action alert – Join us in protecting the right to shelter for children and families

October 12, 2023: Action alert – Mass ID Access Action: Please sign and share our online action to House leaders on expanding access to Mass IDs for people experiencing homelessness!

September 27, 2023: Invitation – RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details here.

September 21, 2023: Action alert – Please join us for an important bill hearing next Wednesday to codify MRVP and create an Access to Counsel program!

September 6, 2023: Action alert – Please join us for an important bill hearing next Tuesday to improve the EAEDC program!

August 23, 2023: 

• Action alert – Mass ID Access Action: Please sign and share our latest online action to House leaders on expanding access to Mass IDs for people experiencing homelessness! Plus direct link to online action

• Invitation –  RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details here.

August 21, 2023: WBUR coverage – State places homeless families in unstaffed sites, raising safety concerns

August 15, 2023: Axios coverage – Advocates urge lawmakers to spend remaining federal COVID aid on shelter crisis

August 11, 2023:

• Action alert – Sign our joint statement on the Governor’s family homelessness emergency declaration plus take action on the FY24 budget

• Axios Boston coverage – How Bay Staters can help with the migrant crisis

July 26, 2023: Invitation – RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details here.

July 19, 2023: WBUR coverage – In new strategy, state asks locals to host unhoused, migrant families as officials scramble to expand shelters 

June 23, 2023: WBUR coverage – Mass. expands services for homeless families, opening intake center and shelter at Joint Base Cape Cod

June 21, 2023: Invitation – RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details here.

June 20, 2023: Action alert – Please join us for an important bill hearing next week: Support legislation to improve the RAFT, HomeBASE, and Emergency Assistance programs on Monday, June 26th!

June 14, 2023: Action alert – Take action to prevent and end homelessness: Join with us today to work to strengthen the FY24 Conference Committee budget plus direct link to our one-minute online action to legislators

June 6, 2023: Action alert – Please plan to join us for two important bill hearings next week: Support the #EveryoneNeedsID Mass ID access bill, bill of rights, and Emergency Assistance bills on Tuesday, June 13th!

May 25, 2023: Action alert – FY24 budget update: Thank you for asking your State Senator to cosponsor and actively support key FY24 budget amendments!

May 23, 2023: Livestream link to watch Day 1 of the FY24 Senate budget debate, link to our FY24 budget tracking chart, and invitation – RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details here.

May 17, 2023: One-minute online action – Join us by signing our online action to your State Senator and Senate leaders to strengthen the fiscal year 2024 Massachusetts state budget 

May 8, 2023: Action alert – Join us at the State House or online tomorrow to support key bills on eviction protections, access to counsel, and eviction record sealing!

April 28, 2023: One-minute online action: Please sign and share our new online action to State Senators and Senate Leaders to strengthen the FY24 budget!

April 26, 2023: Invitation – RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details here.

April 24, 2023:  Advocacy resource – The Coalition’s FY24 budget tracking chart, with a new column (Column D), where we will share updates and outcomes from the House budget debate

April 21, 2023: One-minute online action – Join us by signing our online action to your State Representative and House leaders to strengthen the fiscal year 2024 Massachusetts state budget plus see our related action alert

April 10, 2023: Boston Globe article – “Mass. House leaders to propose making eviction protection measure permanent” plus link to the online Chapter 257 action to legislators

April 7, 2023: Action alert – Two quick updates: Participate in Monday’s Ways & Means Committee hearing on FY24 budget and sign our updated online action to restore Chapter 257 eviction protections

April 4, 2023: Action alert – Provide testimony at the Ways and Means Committee hearing on the FY24 budget this Monday, April 10th! Sign up to testify here.

March 31, 2023: WBUR interview –“How the end of a pandemic-era protection against eviction impacts Mass. residents” plus link to our one-minute online action to legislators

March 30, 2023: Join us on for Homes for Families’ “Cookie Day” events to advocate for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program. Register here for the Tuesday, April 4th Zoom event. There also will be a rally and legislative meetings at the State House on Wednesday, April 5th.

March 29, 2023: Invitation – RSVP today for Friday’s Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. More details about our March meeting are here.

March 28, 2023: Boston Globe article – “As evictions climb in Mass., one last measure to prevent them expires Friday“ plus letters of support from Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell (PDF) and Boston City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune (PDF)

March 27, 2023: Testimony – The Coalition’s testimony in support of House Bill 43, An Act to create the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and rename the Executive Office of Economic Development, presented to the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight

March 26, 2023: Salem News, Gloucester Times, and the Daily News of Newburyport article – “Advocates seek further eviction protections”

March 25, 2023: WBUR newsletter – “The clocking is winding down on a Mass. eviction prevention policy hailed by advocates”

March 23, 2023: Action alert – Keep up the momentum: Sign our new one-minute online action to extend important eviction protections! Plus join us for a legislative hearing on creating a new Executive Office focused on housing. Additional links: Direct link to online action and details on the hearing.

March 13, 2023: Action alert – Take the next step to extend important eviction protections for tenants with pending rental assistance applications! Be part of a new organizational sign-on letter from the Coalition and Massachusetts Law Reform Institute to extend Chapter 257 eviction protections beyond March 31st. Direct link to sign-on letter.

March 9, 2023: Livestream link to watch the Senate debate on the FY23 supplemental budget

March 8, 2023: Action alert – Join us in welcoming Julia Garvey, our new Community Organizer/Legislative Advocate, and take action to extend important eviction protections! plus direct link to online action from our colleagues at Lynn United for Change.

February 13, 2023: Action alert from February 9th – Please take action today by asking your State Representative and Senator to cosponsor priority bills on housing and homelessness. Register for Legislative Action Day 2023, too!

February 5, 2023: Pediatrics Journal advocacy case study: “Community-academic advocacy to improve shelter access for families experiencing homelessness” (PDF); video abstract and additional materials on the American Academy of Pediatrics website

February 4, 2023: MassLive articles – “Mass. shelters prepare to help unhoused during ‘dangerously cold’ temperatures” and “Boston’s South Station to open for homeless as ‘dangerous arctic blast’ arrives in Mass.”

January 25, 2023: Happening this week! Please join us online this Friday, January 27th for our first Housing and Benefits Committee meeting of the new year. Check out the agenda and details here.

January 6, 2023: We are continuing to accept applications for our Community Organizer/Legislative Advocate position on a rolling basis. Read more and apply today!

December 23, 2022: Daily Hampshire Gazette obituary: We pause to honor and remember former State Representative Stephen Kulik, who passed away over the weekend.

December 22, 2022: WBUR coverage – “In record numbers, families without shelter are turning to Massachusetts emergency departments”

December 15, 2022: WBUR coverage – “Advocates question conditions at shelter for migrants and families experiencing homelessness”

December 9, 2022: The Coalition is hiring a new Community Organizer/Legislative Advocate! Please read and share our posting and see the posting on our website.

November 2, 2022: Radio Boston segment – “The latest on families placed in emergency housing in hotels in Methuen and Plymouth”

October 19, 2022: Action alert – Thank you for your efforts thus far to restore upstream access to the RAFT homelessness prevention program

October 17, 2022: There’s still time to participate in our email action to legislators to restore upstream access to the RAFT homelessness prevention program. Also check out the related  organizational sign-on letter we delivered today to legislators and Baker Administration officials, which includes 167 organizations and municipal officials.

October 13, 2022: Boston Globe coverage of the campaign to restore upstream access to the RAFT homelessness prevention program – “Mass. fended off a feared wave of evictions for two years, but with aid drying up, some worry it’s coming soon”

September 30, 2022: Join us in taking action to restore upstream access to the RAFT homelessness prevention program. Participate as an organization or an individual: Sign-on letter for organizations and email action to legislators for individuals

July 27, 2022: Action alert – Take action today to strengthen the economic development bill, plus there’s still time to sign our FY23 budget action letter to Governor Baker

July 25, 2022: Action alert – Participate in our online action to ask Governor Baker to keep key housing and homelessness funding and provisions in the FY23 Budget 

July 20, 2022: Action alert – Take action today to strengthen the economic development bill: Please ask your State Senator to cosponsor and actively support key housing and homelessness amendments

July 12, 2022: Action alert – Take action today to strengthen the economic development bill: Please ask your State Rep to cosponsor and actively support key housing and homelessness amendments

June 29, 2022: Email alert to State Senators – Take action to repeal archaic and derogatory statutes on people experiencing homelessness: Please cosponsor and actively support Amendment #1 to Senate Bill 2956

June 15, 2022: Action alert – Take action to prevent and end homelessness: Join with us today to work to strengthen the FY23 Conference Committee budget

June 1, 2022: Online action – Everyone Needs ID: Sign our online action to push for passage of the Mass ID access bill!

May 27, 2022: Action alert – Thank you for strengthening the Senate budget outcomes! See how key budget amendments on housing, homelessness prevention, and cash assistance fared in the final FY23 Senate budget.

May 19, 2022: Action alert – Please keep up the calls and emails to State Senators in support of key Senate budget amendments on housing, homelessness prevention, and cash assistance!

April 25, 2022: Action alert – Take action! There’s still time to encourage your State Representative to cosponsor and actively support key housing stability, shelter access, and cash assistance amendments to the FY23 budget

April 19, 2022: Action alert – Take action! Please encourage your State Representative to cosponsor and actively support key housing stability, shelter access, and cash assistance amendments to the FY23 budget

April 12, 2022: Video from today’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) press conference, where the Coalition and allies called on the Baker Administration and Legislature to stop the April 15th cuts to ERAP. Special thanks to all of the speakers and organizers, and shout outs to the Massachusetts Public Health Association for filming the press conference and to Homes for All Massachusetts for posting the video!

April 8, 2022: Action alert – Emergency Rental Assistance Program advocacy: Join the Coalition and allies for a press conference as we call on the Baker Administration and Legislature to stop the April 15th cuts to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)

March 31, 2022: Action alert – Weigh in today or tomorrow with the Joint Committee on Ways and Means to actively support deeper rental assistance, housing stability, and benefits program investments in the FY23 budget

March 30, 2022: WBUR Radio Boston coverage of the winding down of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) and advocacy to continue it – “The return of live music, and the end of pandemic-era rental assistance”

March 28, 2022: Action alert – Next steps: Please ask your State Legislators to actively support key rental assistance and housing stability provisions in the compromise FY22 supplemental budget plus updated amendment chart with Senate outcomes

March 24, 2022: Follow along as the State Senate debates its version of the FY22 supplemental budget: livestream link

March 22, 2022: Take action with us to expand rental assistance, tenant protections, and homeowner resources in the Senate version of the FY22 supplemental budget! Chart of key Senate amendments; link to find out who your State Senator is and their contact information

 March 17, 2022: Action alert – Find out what is happening with efforts to expand rental assistance in the FY22 supplemental budget and join us in taking action! and check out the Senate Ways and Means version of the supplemental budget, Senate Bill 2776, released this afternoon

March 16, 2022: Join the advocacy efforts on the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) and read the Baker Administration’s March 15th ERAP announcement

March 9, 2022: Action alert – Take action this morning! Please ask your State Representative to cosponsor and actively support Amendment #39, Access and Equity in Homelessness Prevention, in the FY22 supplemental budget

March 1, 2022: Action alert – Two days to go! Sign up today to join us online for the Coalition’s Legislative Action Day this Thursday, March 3rd

February 19, 2022: It’s time to invest more in housing stability: Supplement the FY22 budget

January 28, 2022: Action alert – See how housing and homelessness issues fared in the Governor’s FY23 budget proposal and take action with us to strengthen the budget

January 26, 2022: Governor Baker’s fiscal year 2023 budget proposals

January 24, 2022: Sign up today for Legislative Action Day 2022: Registration link and more details

January 18, 2022: Free at-home COVID-19 test kits from the federal government: Website in English; sitio web en español; test kit order form in English;formulario de pedido de pruebas en español

January 12, 2022: Good news on the Everyone Needs ID bill to expand access to Mass IDs for people experiencing homelessness

December 27, 2021: State House News/MassLive coverage of the state’s planned scaling back of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) and the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program – “New checks on Massachusetts emergency rental aid draw protests“

December 23, 2021: CommonWealth Magazine coverage of scaling back of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program – “Mass. to start trimming back housing assistance in Jan.”

December 22, 2021: Thank you to everyone who participated in our organizational sign-on letter to state leaders to avoid negative changes to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). See the final letter and endorser list.

December 17, 2021: Please sign and share our organizational sign-on letter to state leaders on the Emergency Rental Assistance Program: State leaders must act with urgency to allocate additional funding for emergency rental assistance instead of curtailing benefits

December 1, 2021: Please join us for our monthly Homeless Youth Providers Engaging Together (HYPET) meeting on Thursday, December 9th!

November 17, 2021: Public Health & Human Rights for Mass. and Cass Coalition recommendations letter and Boston Globe article: “Mayor Wu says city will pause removals of unhoused people at Mass. and Cass while lawsuit pending”

November 13, 2021: Massachusetts Latino News Network Opinion+ interview on the Coalition’s work on the issues of homelessness and housing instability

November 10, 2021: Action alert – Take action! Please contact your State Senator today to ensure maximum investments in housing, homelessness prevention, and cash assistance programs in the COVID-19 recovery budget.

October 27, 2021: Action alert – Take action! Please contact your State Rep today to ensure maximum investments in housing, homelessness prevention, and cash assistance programs in the COVID-19 recovery budget.

October 22, 2021: Join us online next Friday, October 29th, at our monthly Housing and Benefits Committee meeting. See the meeting agenda and details and RSVP today!

October 18, 2021: Details for this week’s Unity in Diversity event, hosted online by Merrimack College. We will be part of a panel discussion, “Engaging Diverse Communities through Activism and Advocacy”, this Wednesday, October 20th between 2:00-3:15 p.m.

October 13, 2021: Join us online this Friday, October 15th for an important virtual State House hearing on key homelessness legislation

October 8, 2021: Action alert – Join us for two important virtual State House hearings next week.

October 6, 2021: Join us online next Tuesday, October 12th for an important virtual State House hearing on key housing and homelessness legislation. The Housing Committee will be taking testimony on key bills related to HomeBASE, RAFT, MRVP, and right to counsel. Read more here.

September 29, 2021:

• ​Happening now: Virtual hearing on income and food security issues in front of the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities, including the Lift Our Kids bill (House Bill 199/Senate Bill 96.) Watch the hearing here.

• ​Participate in the next public hearing of the Commission on Structural Racism in the Massachusetts Probation Service, scheduled for this Friday, October 1st at 1 p.m. Read more here.

September 23, 2021: RSVP to join us online tomorrow at our monthly Housing and Benefits Committee meeting.

September 21, 2021: Training opportunity – Sign up now to join us for an online training on assisting families experiencing homelessness

September 8, 2021: The Coalition is hiring for our next Community Organizer/Legislative Advocate! Please check out our job description and help us spread the word.

August 27, 2021: Join us in thanking Marwa and saying farewell to her, plus take action to support swift passage of the COVID-19 Housing Equity bill

August 5, 2021: Details on the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Housing August 12th hearing on House Bill 1434/Senate Bill 891, legislation to prevent evictions and foreclosures and promote housing equity during the ongoing pandemic and the upcoming recovery

August 3, 2021: Breaking news: The CDC has instituted a new eviction moratorium. Read for preliminary details plus updates on veto overrides and federal relief funds

July 30, 2021: Advocates, Baker admin. officials press for stimulus spending on housing, job training

July 22, 2021:

• ​Join us in asking your State Rep and Senator to swiftly override the Governor’s FY22 vetoes and reject amendments on homelessness and benefits programs: July 21st action alert and online action to sign and share

• ​Join Homes for All Massachusetts and the Coalition in reaching out to State Legislators to push for swift passage of the COVID-19 Housing Equity bill (House Bill 1434/Senate Bill 891)

July 20, 2021: Livestream of the Legislature’s first hearing on how to invest new federal recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

July 15, 2021: Information about advance Child Tax Credit payments for tax year 2021 from the IRS

July 14, 2021: Action alert – The Legislature unanimously approved the FY22 Conference Committee budget, and the budget is now on the Governor’s desk.

July 9, 2021: FY22 state budget chart, updated with details from the Conference Committee

June 29, 2021: Supreme Court rejects request to lift federal ban on evictions

June 25, 2021: The CDC has extended its nationwide COVID-19 eviction moratorium until July 31st: New York Times coverage and the text of the CDC order

June 9, 2021: Be part of Massachusetts Youth Count 2021!

June 3, 2021: Register to join the Massachusetts delegation for the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ virtual Capitol Hill Day 2021 on Wednesday, June 16th!

June 3, 2021: Joint Committee on Housing informational hearing on the Eviction Diversion Initiative

June 1, 2021: Action alert – Weigh in with Senate Ways and Means in support of ongoing housing protections and read our update on homelessness and housing issues in the final FY22 Senate budget

May 25, 2021: Senate budget email action to Senators and link to watch today’s Senate budget debate

May 20, 2021: Advocates for homeless on alert as state of emergency winds down (State House News/WBUR)

May 19, 2021: Send an email to your State Senator urging them to cosponsor and support key FY22 budget amendments

May 17, 2021: “Mass. to ease mask mandate, lift all other COVID restrictions May 29; end state of emergency June 15”

May 11, 2021: Senate Committee on Ways and Means FY22 budget recommendations and the Coalition’s FY22 budget chart

May 1, 2021: “No one knew we were homeless”: New relief funds fuel efforts to find students lost during virtual school

April 30, 2021: 2021 Massachusetts Youth Count details

April 26, 2021: House FY22 budget debate video

April 22, 2021: Send an email to your State Representative urging them to cosponsor and support key FY22 budget amendments

April 14, 2021: House Ways and Means FY22 state budget recommendations on housing, homelessness, and cash assistance programs