Please join us online Friday, October 27th, for our next Housing and Benefits Committee meeting!

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October 25, 2023

Hello!

It's almost time for our October Housing and Benefits Committee meeting, coming up this Friday, October 27th, 10:00–11:30 a.m. on Zoom. Please RSVP and plan to join us!

Here is our agenda:

Welcome/Introductions

An Overview and Analysis of Governor Healey's Housing Bond Bill – Presented by Matt Noyes, Policy Director, Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA)
CHAPA's mission is to encourage the production and preservation of housing that is affordable to low and moderate-income families and individuals and to foster diverse and sustainable communities through planning and community development.
Check out Governor Healey's Housing Bond Bill proposal here.

Updates on the Emergency Assistance Family Shelter System and the Governor's Plan to Establish a Waiting List for Shelter Access – Presented by the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless
Overview of Governor Healey's 10/16 announcement on the State's Emergency Assistance family shelter system.
Learn more about (and how to become a part of) the three working groups that are currently meeting to establish short-term and long-term goals that address the EA shelter system and Governor Healey's emergency declaration (service coordination, exiting shelter, and strengthening homelessness prevention resources). The working groups are led by the Coalition, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, and Citizens' Housing and Planning Association.
Joint statement from the Coalition, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI), and Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) in response to last week's announcement from the Governor on the Emergency Assistance (EA) family shelter program and the plan to curtail the right to shelter for families with children at the start of November.
Check out some of the related news coverage in this Google Folder.
State landing page with call to action and resource links
Invitation to MCH and MLRI's Halloween Day action in front of the State House (10/31 @ 11:00a.m.) to protect the right to shelter: https://mahomeless.org/support-families-protect-right-to-shelter/

Update on Mass ID Access Bill – Presented by the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless
In July, the State Senate unanimously passed Senator Robyn Kennedy's bill, Senate Bill 2251, to provide easier access to Mass IDs for youth and adults experiencing homelessness.
Please sign and share our one-minute online action to House Leadership and your State Representative to take swift action to advance the Senate version of the Mass ID Access Bill.
Resources:
MA ID bill fact sheet
MA ID organizational endorsement form
Stay tuned for more information on an upcoming legislative briefing for the Mass ID Access Bill in November.