** See our current bill and budget priorities here: https://mahomeless.org/current-bill-and-budget-priorities/ **

Posted April 4, 2023; last updated January 22, 2024

2023-2024 Bill Priorities:

• 2023-2024 bill priority overview fact sheet

• 2023-2024 bill priority chart

• Overall bill (and budget) endorsement form

• Strengthening the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program: Bill fact sheet, organizational endorsement form, and RAFT talking points for testimony
  
  • Related resource: RAFT FY24 Administrative Plan & Scope of Services from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (July 2023)
   

• Expanding access to Mass. IDs for youth and adults experiencing homelessness: Bill fact sheet, organizational endorsement form, and testimonial statements
  

• Improving the Emergency Assistance family shelter and services program: Bill fact sheet and organizational endorsement form

• Establishing a bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness: Bill fact sheet and organizational endorsement form

• Codifying and strengthening the HomeBASE rehousing program: Bill fact sheet and organizational endorsement form

• Improving the Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC) cash assistance program: Bill fact sheet and organizational endorsement form

• Pass a strong Housing Bond Bill (the Affordable Homes Act, House Bill ) and provide bridge subsidies to promote housing stability for low-income older adults:
  • Bill text and status updates for House Bill 4138
    
  • Bridge subsidy bond bill fact sheet
    
  • MCH testimony in support of the bill (January 2024)

• Making Chapter 257 eviction protections permanent: House bill text and status updates, Senate bill text and status updates, and testimony to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary (May 2023)
  

  • Related update: The Legislature’s final FY24 budget includes an outside section, Outside Section 64, which would restore the Chapter 257 eviction protections that expired on March 31, 2023 and make the protections permanent.  Governor Healey signed the language into law on August 9, 2023, so the protections are back in effect!
    

• Expanding access to legal counsel in eviction proceedings: Bill fact sheet

• Building in affordability requirements in the Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP): Bill text and status updates for House Bill 1300, Senate Bill 870, and Senate Bill 863 plus MCH testimony in support of the bills (July 2023)

• Establishing a housing secretariat: Bill text and status updates for House Bill 43 and MCH testimony in support of the bill (March 2023)

 

Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Priorities:

• FY24 budget priority overview fact sheet

• FY24 budget priority chart

• Overall budget (and bill) organizational endorsement form

• Budget requests submitted to the FY24 budget Conference Committee (June 2023)

• FY24 Senate amendment overview sheet (May 2023)

• FY24 budget testimony submitted by the Coalition to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means  (April 2023)

• Launching a bridge subsidy program to promote housing stability for low-income older adults (Line Item 9110-XXXX, new line item under the Executive Office of Elder Affairs): Budget fact sheet and organizational endorsement form

• Strengthening the HomeBASE rehousing program (Line Item 7004-9316): Budget overview and organizational endorsement form

• Improving the Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children cash assistance program (EAEDC, Line Item 4408-1000): Budget overview and organizational endorsement form