* You can reach your legislators by calling the State House switchboard at 617-722-2000, and can look up their contact information on the Legislature’s website or at www.wheredoivotema.com. *

Thank you to everyone who signed our one-minute online action to support deeper investments in homelessness prevention, housing, cash assistance, and emergency services, as lawmakers were developing the fiscal year 2019 state budget.

Track the Coalition’s FY’19 priorities and outcomes here

Overall budget fact sheet

Budget Priority Campaign Highlights

Emergency Assistance (EA, line item 7004-0101): Include language to ensure that families experiencing homelessness are not required to stay in places not meant for human habitation before accessing shelter; FY’19 budget fact sheet (PDF, updated 2-21-18)

ea places not meant for human habitation chart 9 10 18b
Housing and services for unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness (line item 4000-0007): Increase funding to $4 million from the FY’18 funding level of $675,000; FY’19 fact sheet (PDF, updated 2-13-18)

Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children program (EAEDC, line item 4408-1000): Provide full grants to participants experiencing homelessness by eliminating the homelessness penalty. Have your organization endorse the EAEDC budget and bill campaignsFY’19 budget fact sheet (PDF, updated 3-21-18)

Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT,  line item 7004-9316): Increase funding for the RAFT homelessness prevention program; FY’19 budget fact sheet (PDF, updated 3-6-18); FY’17 statewide RAFT report from the Regional Housing Network of Massachusetts (and PDF, released 2-27-18)

Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP, line item 7004-9024): Increase funding for the MRVP program to $120 million from the FY’18 funding level of $92.7 million and make language changes to improve the program for participants, such as allowing households to use the subsidies in units at the current fair market rent as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, instead of the 2005 HUD fair market rents; FY’19 budget fact sheet (PDF)

Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP, line item 7004-9030): Increase funding for the AHVP program to $7.7 million from the FY’18 funding level of $5 million to assist people living with disabilities secure long-term, stable housing; FY’19 budget fact sheet (PDF)