September 21, 2023

Hello!

Two key bills are coming up for a hearing at the State House, and we hope you will be able to join us in person or online next Wednesday.

The Joint Committee on Housing is holding a hearing next Wednesday, September 27th at 1:00 p.m. on bills relating to manufactured housing, EOHLC, and miscellaneous. Key bills will be heard, including Senate Bill 864: An Act Promoting Access to Counsel and Housing Stability in Massachusetts, House Bill 1351: An Act Codifying the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, and Senate Bill 888: An Act Relative to the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program. Please keep reading below for more details.

Don't forget to 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. We are grateful to everyone who already signed and shared the action!

Thank you for your partnership and collective advocacy!

In solidarity,

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

P.S. Stay up to date with the Coalition’s advocacy initiatives by following us on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. (Links also included at the top of this message.)

September 27th Joint Committee on Housing Hearing Details

• Date: Wednesday, September 27th
• Time: 1:00 PM
• Locations: In-person at the Massachusetts State House, Hearing Room B-1 and online
• Committee: Joint Committee on Housing; committee members
• Hearing topics and link to list of bills to be covered: manufactured housing, EOHLC, and miscellaneous.
• Key bills to be heard:
• Senate Bill 864: An Act Promoting Access to Counsel and Housing Stability in Massachusetts, filed by Senator Sal DiDomenico: This bill seeks to expand access to counsel and level the playing field by increasing the number of low-income tenants, occupants, and certain owner-occupants with representation in court during eviction proceedings.
• House Bill 1351: An Act Codifying the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, filed by Representative Adrian Madaro: This bill would put the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program into state statute, and reduce tenant share of rent from 40% to 30% of income.
• Senate Bill 888: An Act Relative to the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, filed by Senator Joan Lovely: This bill would put the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program into state statute, and reduce tenant share of rent from 40% to 30% of income.
• Other bills of note: The committee also will take testimony on bills related to the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program. While the RAFT bills we have been advocating for (House Bill 1312 filed by Representative Marjorie Decker and Senate Bill 856 filed by Senator Brendan Crighton) were heard by the committee back in June, the committee will take testimony next week on two additional RAFT bills: House Bill 1317, filed by Representative Dan Donahue, and House Bill 1374, filed by Representative Priscila Sousa. While there is overlapping language in all of the bills, as compared to the Decker/Crighton bills, these bills:
• Would increase RAFT eligibility from 50% area median income (AMI) to 100% AMI
• Do not specifically say that households should be able to access funds for back rent without a notice to quit
• Do not specifically call on the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (referenced as the Department of Housing and Community Development, as it was known at the time of bill filing) and the provider agencies to make direct payments when landlords and property owners are not cooperative with the RAFT application process
• Would add in a new section to make much of the RAFT application information subject to public records requests. While the bill language says that the names of tenants, subtenants, and other occupants would be not part of the public records, we are concerned about the confidentiality of applicants, as the name of the "lessor, owner, manager, or other recipient of funds", the "precise address at which housing services were rendered", amount of assistance, and date of assistance would be part of the public record and could be matched up to identify program participants by name.
• See our talking points on the Decker/Crighton bills on our website.
• Testimony registration form: Sign up with the committee if you would like to testify in-person or virtually on these bills and let us know, too! The deadline to sign up to testify is Monday, September 25th at 5 p.m.
• How to submit written testimony to the Committee: Email Luke O'Roark at luke.oroark@mahouse.gov and Christianna Golden at christianna.golden@masenate.gov, and then share a copy with us, too! Written testimony will be accepted until the bill is acted upon.
• Important resources:
• The Coalitions' 2023-2024 bill priority chart
• Overview of the Coalition's bill and budget priorities
• Access to Counsel fact sheet
• Access to Counsel Coalition website