July 29, 2020

Greetings!

Thank you for your continued advocacy and your dedication to housing for all! As the formal legislative session nears the end ( likely not this Friday, July 31st as originally planned , though), we are asking you to participate in a big push on bills and amendments that seek to keep people safely and stably housed through the pandemic and beyond. Legislators need to continue to hear from you, people on the ground, people with lived experience of housing instability and homelessness, and people who spend every day fighting for their communities.

Today, the Senate will begin debating their version of the economic development bill, An Act Enabling Partnerships for Growth, Senate Bill 2842 . (See below for outcomes on the House debate.) Please reach out to your State Senator as soon as possible today to ask them to cosponsor and actively support key homelessness and housing amendments to the bill , including:

  • Amendment #175 to establish a right to counsel pilot program in response to the COVID-19 emergency, filed by Senator Sal DiDomenico; fact sheet

  • Amendment #176 to ease the negative economic impacts of COVID-19 by providing the equivalent of one extra month's benefits for families and individuals participating in the Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) and Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC) programs, filed by Senator Sal DiDomenico

Additional important amendments to advocate for include amendments with language from other bills we have advocated for this session , such as:

  • Amendment #47 to seal eviction records, filed by Senator Joe Boncore

  • Amendment #249 to allow for local option transfer fees to be added to certain real estate transactions that would be used to fund affordable housing initiatives, filed by Senator Pat Jehlen


Please call or email your Senator this morning, if possible. You can find your Senator's contact information by going to www.wheredoivotema.com .


Thank you again for your commitment and collaboration!

With gratitude,
Kelly and Marwa

Kelly Turley
Associate Director

Marwa Sayed
Community Organizer/Legislative Advocate
Updates on Amendments to the House Version of Economic Development Bill

Yesterday, the House finished their debate of the economic development bill, An Act Enabling Partnerships for Growth, House Bill 4879 . Thank you to everyone who reached out to their Representative to ask them to cosponsor and actively support key homelessness and housing amendments to the bill. While we did build awareness and garner support, unfortunately, our amendments did not make it into the final House bill.

  • Amendment #194 to ease access to Mass IDs for youth and adults experiencing homelessness by waiving the $25 fee and allowing applicants experiencing homelessness to submit alternative documentation to prove residency, filed by Representative Jim O'Day and Representative Kay Khan. This is especially vital for people staying in encampments and places not meant for human habitation. Without an ID, it can be hard, if not impossible, for people experiencing homelessness to apply for jobs, enroll in education programs, get a library card, pick up a package from the post office, receive a prescription from a pharmacy, etc. The negative impacts of not having an ID have multiplied during the pandemic, when access to services and resources have been even more critical for people experiencing homelessness.
  • Outcome: Not included in final House bill; considered under Consolidated Amendment C

  • Amendment #280 to create a bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness and decriminalize homelessness, filed by Representative Smitty Pignatelli. This amendment would reduce needless and costly contact for people experiencing homelessness with the criminal justice system by decriminalizing acts of survival in public: sleeping, seeking protection from adverse weather, eating, praying, and occupying a legally parked vehicle. This amendment also would strike six archaic and derogatory sections of the Massachusetts General Laws that criminalize homelessness. Amendment #280 is urgent in the broader work to address the disproportionate impact of homelessness on Black and Latinx families, individuals, and youth. Until we as Commonwealth can prevent and end homelessness, uphold housing as a basic human right, and end the systemic racism that perpetuates homelessness, we must do all we can to decriminalize acts of survival for people experiencing homelessness.
  • Outcome: Not included in final House bill; considered under Consolidated Amendment C

  • Amendment #439 to guarantee housing stability during the COVID-19 emergency and recovery, filed by Representative Mike Connolly and Representative Kevin Honan
  • Outcome: Not included in final House bill; considered under Consolidated Amendment A

  • Amendment #82 to establish a right to counsel pilot program in response to the COVID-19 emergency, filed by Representative Jon Santiago
  • Outcome: Not included in final House bill; considered under Consolidated Amendment A

  • Amendment #449 to seal eviction records, filed by Representative Michael Moran and Representative Kevin Honan
  • Outcome: Not included in final House bill; considered under Consolidated Amendment A

  • Amendment #34 to allow for local option transfer fees to be added to certain real estate transactions that would be used to fund affordable housing initiatives, filed by Representative Mike Connolly
  • Outcome: Not included in final House bill; rejected on a direct roll call vote
In the News

On Monday night, the Coalition was featured on WGBH Radio's In It Together. The episode focused on homelessness and COVID-19, with statewide updates from the Coalition and Boston updates from Pine Street Inn (recorded last Thursday). Listen to it here.

In the week ahead, as the Legislature approaches the traditional biennial end of formal sessions, we will be back in touch soon with additional bill, budget, and advocacy updates.

Thank you for your collaboration and work to ensure that everyone has a safe place to call home during and after the pandemic!