July 13, 2021

Greetings!

Thank you for all of your work over the past six months to make sure the state implements the strongest possible FY22 state budget on homelessness, housing, and benefits programs. Last Thursday, the six members of the FY22 budget Conference Committee* finished their work of ironing out the differences between the House and Senate budget proposals. Their $48.1 billion in funding allocations and accompanying language recommendations were unanimously approved by the full House and Senate last Friday. The budget was sent later that day to Governor Charlie Baker for his approval and vetoes. You can see the full Conference Committee budget, House Bill 4002, here, and read about how the funding and language compare to our requests below and in Columns D and E of our budget chart.

Take action with us!

We have two action requests for you:

1.) Please reach out to the Governor and ask him to approve (not veto) funding for housing, homelessness, and benefits line items and to quickly implement key budget provisions. Here is a template you can use to send a letter to the Governor. To send your comments by email, please fill out the feedback form on the Governor's web page: https://www.mass.gov/forms/email-the-governors-office.

2.) Please thank your State Representative and Senator for their work to make sure the Commonwealth does more to prevent and end homelessness and housing instability in the new fiscal year. Find out who your State Representative and Senator are and their contact information by going to www.wheredoivotema.com or by calling the State House switchboard at 617-722-2000. Please also thank the budget conferees, who are listed below. You can click on their names and follow the links below for their email addresses and phone numbers. After sending your emails or making your calls, please let us know by emailing us via kelly@mahomeless.org.

Thanks for your ongoing advocacy to create a state budget, laws, and programs to promote housing, equity, and economic stability. We will be back in touch about budget signing and any needed advocacy to override budget vetoes.

With hope,
Kelly and Marwa

Kelly Turley
Associate Director

Marwa Sayed
Community Organizer/Legislative Advocate


* The six budget conferees were House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz, House Ways and Means Vice Chair Ann-Margaret Ferrante, House Ways and Means Ranking Minority Member Todd Smola, Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues, Senate Ways and Means Vice Chair Cindy Friedman, and Senate Ways and Means Ranking Minority Member Patrick O'Connor.
Overview of Key Housing, Homelessness, and Benefits Conference Committee Priority Requests and Outcomes

  • Emergency Assistance (EA) family shelter and services (line item 7004-0101):
  • Requests: Fund at the House and Senate recommended funding level of $195,885,750, with Senate language to use at least $150,000 to create an independent ombudsperson office within the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development for families applying for and participating in EA and HomeBASE. Include Senate language to create an ombudsperson office and the Senate's expanded tracking and reporting language.
  • Outcomes: Funded at $196,960,750, higher than levels previously proposed by the House and Senate. Includes language to create an ombudsperson office under the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development and expanded tracking and reporting language

  • Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (line item 7004-9316):
  • Requests: Fund at the House funding level of $26,725,768 ($22,000,000 in recommended direct appropriations plus $4,725,768 from the Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund.) Include House language to retain the $10,000 cap on annual benefits for the full fiscal year, and Senate language to decouple RAFT and HomeBASE benefits so as to allow eligible households to maximize funding from both programs.
  • Outcomes: Funded at $26,725,768 total ($22,000,000 in recommended direct appropriations plus $4,725,768 from the Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund). Includes language to cap RAFT benefits at $10,000 only until December 31, 2021, and a lower $7,000 cap for the second half of the fiscal year.

  • Housing and Services for Unaccompanied Youth and Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness (line item 4000-0007):
  • Requests: Fund at the House and Senate funding level of $8,000,000
  • Outcome: Funded at $8,000,000

  • Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (line item 7004-9024):
  • Requests: Fund at the Senate funding level of $150,000,000 ($129,981,667 in new appropriations plus not less than $20,018,333 in unspent funds from FY21). Include Senate language so that voucher holders would not have to pay more than 30% of their income toward rent from current standard of 40% of income, and additional Senate language so that at least 75% of newly issued vouchers would be targeted to households with incomes at or below 30% area median income at time of initial occupancy.
  • Outcomes: Funded at $150,000,000 ($129,981,667 in new appropriations plus not less than $20,018,333 in unspent funds from FY21). Does not include Senate language capping tenant rent share at 30% of income. Includes compromise language to allow (but not require) DHCD to target at least 75% of newly issued vouchers to households with incomes at or below 30% area median income at time of initial occupancy.

  • HomeBASE (line item 7004-0108):
  • Requests: Fund at the House and Senate funding level of $25,970,612. Include Senate language as included in the RAFT line item (7004-9316) to decouple RAFT and HomeBASE benefits so as to allow eligible households to maximize funding from both programs.
  • Outcomes: Funded at $25,970,612. Includes language that caps the combination of HomeBASE and RAFT assistance at $10,000 in a 12-month period; the additional language referencing the state of emergency is not applicable, as the state of emergency ended before the start of the fiscal year ("provided further, that a family shall not receive more than a combined sum of $10,000 in a 12-month period from this item and item 7004-9316; provided further, that from the passage of this act until the termination of the state of emergency concerning the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease declared by the governor on March 10, 2020, the preceding proviso shall not apply;")

  • Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children Program (line item 4408-1000):
  • Requests: Fund at the Senate funding level of $101,538,779. Include House and Senate language to increase monthly grants 20% over FY20 levels, plus Senate language from Outside Sections 48-49 on removing the EAEDC asset limit.
  • Outcomes: Funded at $102,738,779, higher than levels previously proposed by the House and Senate, Includes language to increase grants so that levels are 20% higher than in FY20 and language to remove the asset limit. See Outside Sections 46 and 47.

For more details on the outcomes for our full list of priorities, please see our budget chart or email Kelly. Thank you again for your advocacy!