|
April 22, 2024
Hello!
It's almost time for our April Housing and Benefits Committee meeting, coming up this Friday, April 26th, 10:00–11:30 a.m. on Zoom. Please RSVP and plan to join us!
Here is our agenda:
- Massachusetts Welcomes Campaign – Presented by Maroni Minter, Political Director, Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA)
-
MIRA is the largest coalition in New England promoting the rights and integration of immigrants and refugees. With offices in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, they advance this mission through education and training, leadership development, institutional organizing, strategic communications, policy analysis and advocacy. MIRA is a dynamic and multi‐ethnic coalition with 140+ organizational members, including grassroots community organizations, refugee resettlement agencies, providers of social, legal and health services, faith-based organizations and civil and human rights advocates. They organize and empower their members and allies, and together they mobilize immigrant communities to advocate for themselves, and amplify and support their voices. MIRA is a respected leader on immigrant issues at the state and national levels, and an authoritative source of information and policy analysis for policy-makers, advocates, immigrant communities and the media.
- The Massachusetts Welcomes Campaign is a pivotal step towards ensuring that every immigrant and refugee in Massachusetts has access to the services and support they need to thrive. It is dedicated to creating a welcoming environment for every individual, regardless of their background or how they arrived here.
-
Updates on the FY2025 State Budget – Presented by Kelly Turley, Associate Director, Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless
- The House Committee on Ways and Means (HWM) released its version of the FY25 state budget, House Bill 4600, on April 10th. Representatives had until Friday, April 12th to file amendments. The full House is scheduled to begin debating the supplemental budget Wednesday, April 24th, so we are working to secure as many House cosponsors and as much support as possible for key amendments related to housing stability, shelter access, and cash assistance.
- See the Coalition's FY25 budget chart for the full list of line items and outside sections we are tracking here: https://tinyurl.com/mchfy2025
- See the Coalition's most recent action alert on key House amendments to the FY25 budget here: https://conta.cc/4cXRCLj
-
Please sign our new one-minute online action to your State Representative, House Speaker Ron Mariano, and House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz to encourage them to cosponsor and actively support key housing stability, shelter access, and cash assistance amendments to the House's fiscal year 2025 budget.
- Previously, Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll filed their $58.1 billion FY25 budget proposal on January 24th. Read about their recommendations here:
- Press release
- Statewide Summary
- Line Item Summary
- Outside Sections
- Updates on the Emergency Assistance Family Shelter System & Pending Supplemental Budget – Presented by Kelly Turley, Associate Director, Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless
- The Legislature is still deliberating a supplemental budget request that centers around the Emergency Assistance family shelter program, and would provide needed funding for the family shelter program for the rest of FY24 (House and Senate versions) and possibly into FY25 (Senate version only).
- Both the House and Senate versions include proposed time limits on how long families can stay in shelter, with differing approaches on extensions.
- We stand firmly against artificial time limits on life-saving and life-changing EA benefits. Imposing time limits would put participating families, young children, and pregnant people at serious risk of harm, and would take a disproportionate toll on larger families, people with disabilities, people of color, and other households facing tremendous barriers to securing permanent housing. We also are concerned about the increased burden this would place on hospitals and clinics, nonprofit agencies, emergency services, and cities and towns across the Commonwealth. We are confident that time limits do not reflect our shared values of being an open, supportive, and responsive state.
- The Senate version also calls for the creation of a commission focused on the future of the EA program and the state's response to family homelessness.
- On March 28th, a Conference Committee was appointed to work out the differences between the bills passed by the House and Senate. The Conference Committee includes: House Ways and Means Chair Michlewitz, Representative Ferrante, Representative Smola, Senate Ways and Means Chair Rodrigues, Senator Friedman, and Senator O'Connor.
- Supp budget proposals:
-
Final Senate proposal: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S2711
-
Final House proposal: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H4466
-
Governor's proposal: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H4284
-
More information can be found on our bill and budget priority page.
- Check out some of the related EA news coverage in this Google Folder.
- Announcements
- The Massachusetts Youth Count launched on April 1st. This is an annual survey sponsored by the Massachusetts Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Commission to learn about the scope, needs, and demographics of youth and young adults under the age of 25 who are unstably housed or experiencing homelessness. The Youth Count partners with youth, young adults, providers serving youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, Continua of Care, and other community partners to conduct the survey. The insights and data gathered from the survey process are used to influence advocacy and programming to address youth and young adult homelessness.
- The survey will take place until Tuesday, April 30th.
- Eligible youth and young adults age 24 and younger will be compensated $20 via Cash App or Venmo for participating in the survey.
- For more information, click here.
Click here to RSVP for our April 26th meeting (or go to tinyurl.com/mch-hb-rsvp.)
Best wishes,
Julia and Kelly
Julia Garvey
Community Organizer/Legislative Advocate
Pronouns: She/her/hers
julia.garvey@mahomeless.org
Kelly Turley
Associate Director
Pronouns: She/her/hers
kelly@mahomeless.org
|
