House Passes Amendments Related to Housing and Homelessness

As you know, the Governor proposed dramatic alterations to the family shelter system in his FY 2012 budget recommendations. This includes limiting shelter to families who became homeless due to domestic violence, natural disaster or fire and also creates a new shelter program for parents under the age of 21. The remaining families will be placed in a new 3-year housing subsidy program called HomeBASE. The House recently released the first draft of their budget recommendations for FY 2012 know as the House Ways and Means budget, and this draft included the same basic framework that the Governor proposed. However, many changes needed to be made to this first draft through the amendment process. On Tuesday amendments affecting housing and homelessness programs were finalized and voted on. Below is a summary of what was passed.

HomeBASE: TheHouse Ways and Means budget proposed that families could only access housing at 80% Fair Market Rent or less, which in some areas may be too low of a threshold and may force families into unsafe housing. The House amended this by inserting language allowing the administering agencies of HomeBASE to go above 80% FMR if safe housing cannot be attained or if a family is transitioning into HomeBASE from a flex funds or HPRP unit that was above 80% FMR. RCAP Solutions was also added as an administering agency of the program.

Emergency Assistance: The House added language that EA funds could be used for prevention activities including landlord/tenant mediation, legal assistance to prevent eviction, housing search services, and stabilization services. Community action programs and other community based organizations will administer the program, but no money was designated for these activities, which means that DHCD can spend very little money on prevention if they choose.

Advocates had asked for housing search within 14 days of a family being placed in a motel and stronger language ensuring families could access shelter if they could not quickly find housing through HomeBASE. Neither of these were passed.

Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards: The House passed an amendment prohibiting store owners from accepting EBT cards to pay for alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, or lottery tickets.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition Releases Federal Reports on Housing Assistance

According to the State-by-State fact sheets for Federal rental assistance, there are currently 177,059 units receiving federal rental assistance in Massachusetts. However, there are 200, 743 low income households that spend more than half of their income on rent alone. Of these households, 77 percent are extremely low income, and 24 percent are families with children. Alarmingly, only 19 percent of families with children currently receive Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance

Click here to view the State-by-State Federal Fact Sheets for Federal Rental Assistance

Protect Housing and Homelessness Programs

Dear HFF supporter:

As you know, the House Ways and Means Committee released their version of the FY2012 state budget last week.  As the full House of Representatives comes together to debate and finalize their budget next week, it is critical that we contact our state representatives and request that they support proposed amendments impacting programs that service homeless and at-risk families.

Please take a moment to call, email or write your state representative to request that s/he support the passage of these amendments.  Simply provide staff the amendment number, line item number and a little bit about what each amendment does.  Taking a few moments to do this could have a direct result on the state’s final budget.  If you are uncertain how to contact your state representative, click here.

The table below shows HFF’s primary priorities for amendments that have been filed.  Please click here to view a document that also shows HFF’s secondary priorities.

Housing Resources:

Amendment Number:	Lead Sponsor:	Line Item:	What theAmendment Does:
579	Rep. Kay Khan	7004-9024, Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP)	Increases funding proposed for program from $36 million to $38.2 million
666	Rep. Gloria Fox	7004-0108, Home BASE	Increases the 80% FMR cap to 100% FMR for all participants
323	Rep. Aaron Michlewitz	7004-0108, Home BASE	Allows for families to exceed the 80% FMR cap if they are transitioning onto Home BASE from another short-term housing assistance program or are unable to secure a lease in a reasonable amount of time

Homeless Services:

555	Rep. Jim O’Day	7004-0101, Emergency Assistance (EA)	Mandates that all homeless families placed in motels through the EA program begin to receive housing search assistance within 14 days of placement
669	Rep. Gloria Fox	7004-0101, Emergency Assistance (EA)	Provides clarifying language for eligibility for EA until housing is secured through HomeBASE and units must accommodate size and disabilities of the families

House Ways and Means Committee Releases Budget Recommendations for FY2012

Last week, the Massachusetts Legislature took their first step in developing next year’s (FY2012) state budget when the House Committee on Ways and Means (HWM) released budget recommendations. This is basically a first draft, and it can be changed through the amendment process. For instance, any Representative can change a funding amount or the language of this draft budget by filing an amendment. We will be posting info soon about amendments affecting programs assisting homeless families and how you can help get these amendments passed. Below is a summary of these programs and how they fared in the HWM recommendations:

–       The Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program – Funded at $36 million, which is a cut from the current budget that funded MRVP at $37.1 million. Despite this, DHCD has affirmed that this funding level will maintain the vouchers of those in the program and allow for vouchers to be re-issued after they are returned.

–       Public Housing Operating Funds – Funded at $62.5 million, which is level funding compared to this year.

–       Emergency Assistance – HWM funded this program at the same level as the Governor ($97.79 million) but made some important changes to the language. It still designates shelter for families who are homeless due to a natural disaster or domestic violence and creates a program for young parents. However, it allows funding to be used to create units for families who are waiting to be placed into housing. There are many other changes, which we will discuss later this week.

–       HomeBASe – HWM funded this new program at basically the same level as the Governor – about $37 million. HWM eliminates the $8,000 cap on rental assistance per year. It replaces the cap with language stating that rent shall not exceed 80% of FMR and families shall not pay more than 35% of income towards rent and utilities.

–       Residential Assistance for Families in Transition – Level funds the program at $260,000, but does not come close to restoring the program to the FY2009 level of $5 .6 million.

–       Transitional Assistance for Families and Dependent Children – Funded at about $312.8 million, which would be a $2.3 million cut from the current fiscal year. Language does not specifically designate money for a yearly clothing allowance.

–       Childcare for low-income families – In the Governor’s recommendations, the Supported Child Care, TANF Related Child Care, and Income Eligible Child Care programs were consolidated into one line item. HWM did not choose to consolidate these programs but left them as separate line items. Combined, HWM would increase funding for these programs by over $2 million compared to the Governor and about $500,000 compared to the current budget.

This is just the first phase of the House’s process of creating budget recommendations for FY2012. We will be posting information soon about amendments. After the House is done, the Senate will create recommendations and then the Governor and the Legislature will work to create one final budget.

Click here for more detailed info about funding in the HWM recommendations for FY2012.

Congress Releases Details of FY 2011 Budget Deal

From the National Alliance to End Homelessness:

Late last night, congressional leaders released the details of its final fiscal year (FY) 2011 funding bill. The legislation included a total of about $40 billion in cuts compared to FY 2010. Despite these cuts, it includes funding for a number of key programs related to affordable housing and homelessness, including:

• $1.905 billion for HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants program, a $40 million increase over FY 2010; This includes an extra $225 million for Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG), which is an extra $65 million increase over last year. This increase can go to HPRP like activities.
• $50 million for new HUD – VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program vouchers to house an estimated 7,690 additional homeless veterans;
• No funding for Housing and Services for Homeless Persons Demonstration vouchers;
• $116 million for Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) programs, equal to the FY 2010 level;
• $18.4 billion for Section 8 Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, enough to fund all existing vouchers; and
• $3.3 billion for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), a $650 million decrease from FY 2011
• $4.6 billion for the Public Housing Operating Fund; a $149 million decrease from FY 2010 levels, $2 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund

The Following were not listed by NAEH:

• $500 million less the Women and Infant Children nutrition program for the poor.
• $600 million less for Community Health Centers.
• $340 million more for Head Start, the early education program for children.

The full text of the legislation is available here.

What You Can Do:

1. Contact the DC offices of your Senators and Representatives. Ask to speak to the person who handles housing issues. Office phone numbers can be found by dialing the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121.
2. Explain how GLAD you are to know that they are recommending INCREASING funding for McKinney-Vento and HUD-VASH programs. Mention that these funding levels, however, are insufficient to meet the need in your community, and that you hope to see significant increases in FY 2012.
3. Let us know who you contacted by emailing Kate Seif at cseif@naeh.org.

The House is expected to vote on the legislation tomorrow, and the Senate will likely vote on the bill on Thursday.The legislation is currently expected to pass both chambers and be signed into law by the President.

Because of YOUR hard work this year, Congress is expected to approve an INCREASE in funding for McKinney-Vento programs and HUD-VASH programs. Although these funding levels are insufficient to meet the need, these increases in the face of extremely high budget cuts are a testament to what a GREAT job you have done educating Members of Congress about how important these programs are. However, we have a lot of work to do in the next couple of months as Congress begins to work on FY 2012.