We at Homes for Families believe that we must be proactive in preventing homelessness, propping up families who need assistance, making sure they do not lose their housing because of a few missed payments, and not letting them fall through the cracks. One of our top legislative priorities is strengthening the Rental Assistance to Families in Transition (RAFT) program, which seeks to achieve this very mission. This year we are advocating for the passage of H.1385: An Act Providing Upstream Homelessness Prevention Assistance to Families, Youth, and Adults.
This bill, filed by Representative Decker and Rep. Miranda, seeks to codify RAFT into state law. 31 other Representatives have joined Decker and Miranda in co-sponsoring H.1385 thus far, and with your support, we believe more can follow their lead.
How does the current RAFT program work?
Administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), RAFT is a state-funded homelessness prevention program that provides short-term financial assistance to at-risk households. Because of RAFT funding, thousands of very low-income Massachusetts families and individuals are able to maintain residential stability even during periods of financial crisis or hardship. Households receive services and cash benefits in order to either preserve their current housing or obtain new housing, not exceeding the total amount of their actual liabilities. Although the maximum benefit per household (of combined RAFT and HomeBASE funds) is typically $4,000 over a 12-month period, in the six months following the end of the COVID-19 state of emergency (through December 31, 2021), qualifying households may receive up to $10,000 in benefits (and $7,000 over a 12-month period through June 30, 2022), which they can use to pay off rental, mortgage, or utility arrearages, furniture costs, and moving expenses. Eligible households may apply through their local Housing Consumer Education Center.
To qualify, households must be:
- At risk of homelessness, eviction, foreclosure, or utility shut-off within the next 12 months
- At or below 50 percent of their local Average Median Income (AMI)
- Or at or below 60 percent of AMI in households at risk of harm and housing insecurity due to domestic violence
Landlords with 20 or fewer units that have the consent of their qualifying tenants may also apply on their behalf. Applicants must prove, with certified statements from the parties concerned, both their outstanding fees and inability to pay these fees.
This program is especially designed to target families with children under 21, seniors, people with disabilities, and unaccompanied youths, although anyone who fits the above criteria may apply, including individuals without American citizenship. Families with an income at or below 30 percent of the local AMI may receive 50 to 100 percent of the maximum funds available, while those between 30 and 50 percent (or 60 percent in domestic violence situations) of the AMI may receive up to 50% of the maximum benefit cap. DHCD is required to provide at least 50 percent of the funds to households earning 30 percent of AMI or below and must prioritize the families who would otherwise need to enter the Emergency Assistance (EA) system.
Budget history of RAFT:
RAFT was funded at $72,000,000 for the state fiscal year 2021, but the RAFT allocation in the newest budget proposals—potentially as low as $16,274,232—fails to meet the needs of households who are still struggling with housing and job insecurity.
| Fiscal Year | Governor’s Budget | House Budget | Senate Budget | Final Budget |
| 2005 | $2,000,000 | |||
| 2006 | $5,000,000 | |||
| 2007 | $5,000,000 | |||
| 2008 | $5,000,000 | |||
| 2009 | $5,500,000 | |||
| 2010 | $160,000 | |||
| 2011 | $260,000 | |||
| 2012 | $260,000 | $260,000 | $260,000 | $260,000 |
| 2013 | $8,760,000 | N/A | $8,760,000 | $8,760,000 |
| 2014 | $8,760,000 | $8,760,000 | $11,106,000 | $10,000,000 |
| 2015 | $9,500,000 | $11,000,000 | $10,500,000 | $11,000,000 |
| 2016 | $11,000,000 | $12,000,000 | $13,000,000 | $12,500,000 |
| 2017 | $12,500,000 | $12,500,000 | $13,000,000 | $13,000,000 |
| 2018 | $13,000,000 | $15,000,000 | $18,500,000 | $15,000,000 |
| 2019 | $15,000,000 | $17,000,000 | $18,500,000 | $20,000,000 |
| 2020 | $15,274,232 | $15,274,232 | $16,274,232 | $16,303,871 |
| 2021 | $13,642,337 | $50,000,000 | $50,000,000 | $72,000,000 |
| 2022 | $16,274,232 | $22,000,000 | $16,274,232 | ? |
The budget process is notoriously inconsistent as legislators are under no obligation to fully fund simple line items. Take, for example, the 97% drop in RAFT funding from FY2009 to FY2010 at the start of the Great Recession. States are required to balance their budgets, and when funds are limited, most programs suffer cutbacks, but RAFT plays an integral role during economic downturns by providing people with a financial safety net until conditions improve, which also hastens recovery. Instead, families were deprived of assistance when they needed it the most. If H.1385 passes and RAFT is codified into state statute, legislators would be under greater pressure and scrutiny regarding their RAFT funding decisions and it is unlikely that we would see such an outcome again.
What would the bill do?
This bill would codify RAFT by amending Chapter 23B of the General Laws of the Commonwealth, streamline and accelerate household access to benefits, provide households with extra supportive services, improve collaboration between administering agencies, and mandate detailed reports on applications, recipient households, and funding uses be issued annually by December 31.
Crucially, the bill allows households to access benefits to offset future costs in addition to current liabilities, preventing those with forthcoming payment obligations from slipping into arrears, which poses great threat to their housing security. Households would also no longer be subject to a cap on their benefits, allowing them to fully clear their arrearages and future costs.
Moratoriums delayed eviction and foreclosure due to non-payment but did not cancel those missed rent and mortgage payments. With the federal eviction moratorium set to expire on the 31st of this month, ensuring the RAFT program helps as many households as possible is more vital than ever. Passing H.1385 will ensure that RAFT continues to protect and uplift Massachusetts households.
How can you help?
- Write/call your elected officials:
You can find your State Representative and Senator HERE. These elected officials work for you, and it is immensely important that they hear from their constituents about what you want them to do as your representative. Here is a script you can use to email or call your representatives:
Dear Representative/Senator [NAME],
My name is [NAME] and I am Emailing on behalf of [ORGANIZATION]. I live in your district and wanted to talk to you about a piece of legislation that is crucial to helping end family homelessness in Massachusetts. This bill is incredibly important to me, and I would really appreciate your advocacy around it, especially by co-sponsoring the bill.
On any given night in our state, 18,471 people experience homelessness, a number that has more than doubled since 1990, and over 12,000 of them are in families with children. Since 2007, no other state in America has seen a larger increase in family homelessness. It doesn’t have to be this way! There are concrete laws that can be passed that will drastically transform Massachusetts into a State where homelessness really is brief, rare, and non-recurring.
As your constituent, here is the bill I’d like you to co-sponsor and support: H.1385: An Act Providing Upstream Homelessness Prevention Assistance to Families, Youth, and Adults.
This bill would put RAFT into state statute and direct DHCD to provide much-needed renewals of financial assistance to protect the housing of families who would otherwise face homelessness.
Sincerely, [NAME]
- Use social media!
Join HFF on social media to spread the word on RAFT
- Sign the organizational endorsement form!
Support our partners over at Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and have your organization endorse H.1385 through the following link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfuM1LcISt4x2o9yXGxix7iGl8K8wbZnkMSJ9kk5eiQh2AWvw/viewform
Homes for Families: Opening Doors 