
The Return of Massachusetts Youth Count: Join Us for YOUth Count 2021!
Posted January 22, 2021 The Coalition is proud to be a lead collaborator once again with the Massachusetts Commission on Unaccompanied Homeless Youth for the
Posted January 22, 2021 The Coalition is proud to be a lead collaborator once again with the Massachusetts Commission on Unaccompanied Homeless Youth for the
From email sent on December 7, 2020 Thank you for all of your work over the past week (and past 11 months!) to make sure
From email sent on November 23, 2020 After many months of COVID-19-related delays, the state budget process is another step closer to being finalized. Late
After many months of COVID-19-related delays, the state budget process is moving ahead swiftly. Thank you to everyone who sent an email and/or called their Senator today and over the weekend. If you haven’t had a chance yet, we still need your help to further strengthen the final Senate version of the FY21 state budget.
As we reported in our previous message, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means released their $46 billion budget proposal for the current fiscal year on Thursday. The Senate Ways and Means (SWM) budget included important proposed investments in housing, homelessness, and benefits programs. We are grateful to Senate President Spilka, Senator Rodrigues, and Senate leadership for prioritizing these issues.
We are honored to work with several Senators to draft and support key amendments to the Senate budget to make sure the Commonwealth is doing even more to prevent and end homelessness and housing instability this fiscal year, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the Senate budget debate beginning tomorrow, now is the time to build up momentum for these amendments. Please ask your State Senator to cosponsor and actively support the key amendments listed below, and thank them if they already have signed on.
** Find out who your State Senator is and what their contact information is by going to www.wheredoivotema.com or calling the State House switchboard on weekdays at 617-722-2000. After sending your email or making your call, please let us know by responding to this message or emailing us via kelly@mahomeless.org.
For a closer look at how the SWM recommendations compare to our key homelessness, housing, and benefits line item requests, and how the House amendments fared, please see our budget chart.
Thank you again for your advocacy and responsiveness!
Ask Your Senator to Support These Key Housing, Homelessness, and Benefits Amendments
Please ask your State Senator to cosponsor and actively support these amendments:
• HomeBASE Amendment #405, on extending HomeBASE benefits for families timing out of the program facing a return to homelessness and improving data collection, sponsored by Senator Chang-Díaz
• Emergency Assistance Amendment #283, on improving data collection, equity, and access for the Emergency Assistance family shelter program, sponsored by Senator Chang-Díaz
• EAEDC Amendment #279, on increasing the Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children program asset limit for elders and people with disabilities from $250 to
$2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for households of two or more, sponsored by Senator Chang-Díaz
• Mass ID Amendment #149, on increasing access to Mass IDs for people experiencing homelessness by eliminating the $25 fee and decreasing the verification burden,
sponsored by Senator Rausch
• Eviction prevention Amendment #388, on promoting housing stability during the COVID-19 emergency and recovery, sponsored by Senator Jehlen
• RAFT Amendment #394, on improving and streamlining the Residential Assistance for Families
in Transition program, a cornerstone of the state’s response to the
eviction crisis, sponsored by Senator Crighton
• MRVP Amendment #398, on improving the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program by increasing the number of housing vouchers issues and ensuring that the Department of
Housing and Community Development uses more of the funding allocated for
the program, sponsored by Senator Crighton
• MRVP Amendment #393, on improving affordability and sustainability for MRVP voucher holders by lowering the tenant portion of rent to no more than 30% of income,
instead of 30-40% of income, filed by Senator Eldridge
• Progressive Revenue Amendment #82, on raising revenue in a progressive way to meet the unprecedented needs in the Commonwealth during the pandemic and recovery, sponsored by Senator Comerford
Please ask your Senator to sign on as soon as possible, and actively express their support for these amendments with Senate Leadership and in caucuses and debates.
We also have been adding amendment details to our budget chart, including outcomes for House amendments.
For more details or questions, please email Kelly. Thank you again for your consideration and support!
In Case You Missed It: Senate Ways and Means Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Highlights
Here are just a few of the highlights of what the Senate Ways and Means budget would do:
• Provide $8 million for housing and services for unaccompanied youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, matching our request
• Provide $54.7 million for the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program, including $50 million in direct appropriations and $4.7 million from the Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund, in line with our request; to be combined with additional funds allocated by the Governor through the Eviction Diversion Initiative
• Include language that temporarily allows families to maximize needed resources
from the RAFT and HomeBASE programs during the COVID-19 state of
emergency, a step toward our request
• Provide $135 million for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP), including $125.5 million in direct appropriations and $9.5 million in unspent funds from FY20, matching our appropriations request
• Provide $12.5 million for the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP), above our request of $12 million
• Increase funding for shelters and services for unaccompanied adults and families with children, in line with our requests
• Require courts to provide continuances in eviction cases during the pandemic for households impacted financially by COVID-19 that have applied for emergency rental assistance
As SWM highlighted in their budget narrative, “Affordable housing, which has been exacerbated by COVID-19 in Massachusetts, is another key building block of our recovery. Access to housing is, for many, the same as access to economic security and stability, while also being intrinsically linked to public health. The Committee’s budget maintains the Senate’s commitment to increasing access to quality, affordable housing, investing over $540M in housing and homelessness services and supports to maintain stability and keep people in their homes during this time of crisis.”
In an unprecedented week in an unprecedented year, we are grateful for all you do to promote housing and economic stability during and beyond the
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we know that it is more dangerous than ever for families, individuals, and youth to be experiencing homelessness. That is
Since the start of the pandemic, the Coalition has been working with a broad range of stakeholders to ensure that families, individuals, and youth experiencing
Last updated July 31, 2020 Good news! Earlier today, Governor Baker signed into law most of the COVID-19 supplemental budget, House Bill 4808. All of the
Posted July 21, 2020 Thank you to everyone who joined the Coalition, Representative Jim O’Day, Representative Kay Khan, Representative Kevin Honan, families experiencing homelessness, advocates,
Background: Please ask Governor Charlie Baker to take action now for children and parents experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Families in the Commonwealth’s Emergency
Please join with the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and the National Low Income Housing Coalition in letting your members of Congress (U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators)
Last updated June 15, 2020**Please sign and share our one-minute online RAFT action here.** The Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT, budget line item
Updated May 12, 2020 As Massachusetts responds to the novel coronavirus and the resulting respiratory disease known as COVID-19, the Coalition is sharing key resources
Our hearts are filled with gratitude for all of your support for last week’s Legislative Action Day at the State House! We had more than 200 people with
Last updated March 16, 2020 ** This year’s Youth Count, which had been scheduled for Monday, April 13th – Sunday, May 17th, is postponed due to the coronavirus
Last updated August 6, 2020 Our voices matter, especially during a pandemic. Replying to the 2020 U.S. Census is safe and easy to do remotely
Last updated February 26, 2020 We hope to see you at the State House in Boston for our annual Legislative Action Day tomorrow, Thursday, February 27, 2020
Last updated September 18thWhat is EAEDC? The Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children program (EAEDC), is a state-funded cash assistance and benefits program providing support
Updated June 20th ** There’s still time to take action! Please sign and share our latest one-minute online action in support of the Coalition’s FY’20 budget
The Senate’s fiscal year 2020 budget debate officially kicked off this morning. Thank you for all of your help in getting Senators to cosponsor and actively support
Last updated May 14th ** Please see our May 14th action alert and join us in taking action: Take action with us! Please ask your State
Last updated April 19th * Read about House budget outcomes in our follow-up action alert from May 2nd. * On April 10th, the House Committee on Ways and
Last updated April 2nd Please plan to join us at the Massachusetts State House on Tuesday, April 2nd for the Joint Committee on Ways and Means public hearing on
Last updated February 5, 2020** The results of the 2019 Massachusetts Youth Count are now available. Read the 2019 Youth Count report (PDF) and Executive Summary (PDF) from the Massachusetts Commission
Our hearts are filled with gratitude for all of your support for our recent Legislative Action Day at the State House! We had 200 people with us: families, youth,
Last updated March 1st ** Thank you to everyone who participated in person and remotely in our Legislative Action Day 2019! Please amplify the impact
December 10, 2018 This International Human Rights Day, the Coalition was proud to join with over 210,000 immigrants, immigrant advocates, and concerned community members to call on
Last updated July 25th After an extended period of budget negotiations, the FY’19 Budget Conference Committee has completed its work, and has sent their recommendations
A Discussion on Family and Individual Homelessness Sunday, June 24, 2018, 2:00-4:00 PM First Baptist Church633 Centre St. Jamaica Plain, MA 02130Facebook event page Thank you
Last updated July 9th ** Please sign and share our one-minute online action to the Conference Committee Chairs, Senator Karen Spilka and Representative Jeff Sanchez, as
Last updated on May 25th *Read about the Senate debate outcomes here and below. * As we posted previously, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means (“Senate
Last updated May 11th Today, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means (“Senate Ways and Means” or “SWM”) released its fiscal year 2019 budget recommendations for
Last updated April 23rd The House budget debate is underway! The debate began today (April 23rd) and is scheduled to go until Thursday. Friday, April 13th,
* 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. *
Last updated March 1, 2018 * Legislative Action Day Follow-Up Action: Please take one-minute to sign our latest online action to support deeper investments in homelessness prevention, housing, cash
Relocation Supports and Resources for Survivors of Natural Disasters and Other Disasters (Last updated September 17, 2018) If you and your household are experiencing homelessness
Advocacy Committee Meetings The Coalition coordinates two monthly advocacy committee meetings: the Homeless Youth Providers Engaging Together (HYPET) meetings, in conjunction with Y2Y Harvard Square, and the
Last updated December 31, 2018 * Please join with us today for our final push to pass the #EveryoneNeedsID Mass ID access bill this legislative
Last updated December 11, 2018*Please sign our latest online action in support of the bill of rights.* Summary An Act providing a homeless bill of
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