HFF Legislative Priority 9: A Bill of Rights for People Experiencing Homelessness

Bill H.264/S.142 is formally called “An Act providing a bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness.” In short, it recognizes various fundamental rights that people experiencing homelessness should always have. A bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness is not a new piece of legislation in the country.

In fact, some states already have a homeless bill of rights, including Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Illinois. The nation still has a long way to go in passing and implementing a bill of rights for every state’s homeless population. By passing this bill, Massachusetts will be taking the next step forward in protecting the rights of all of its people. 

What are these rights exactly? In the states that have passed a homeless bill of rights, and in this proposed bill, the following rights are recognized: the right to move freely in public spaces, the right to confidentiality of records, the right to privacy of property, and the right to register to vote and to vote. Legislators and organizations working to pass this bill believe that these are fundamental human rights that are not currently protected in the homeless population. 

What will this bill change? 

• It will amend public spaces laws, recognizing the rights of people experiencing homelessness to rest, eat, pray, and be in public spaces 
• It will amend voting laws to affirm the right to vote and register to vote without a permanent address 
• It will amend anti-discrimination laws to include housing status 

This Bill would also repeal old sections of Massachusetts General Laws that use harmful terminology such as “tramps”, “vagrants”, and “vagabonds.” These terms have been used since before the foundation of this country and have been used as derogatory terms for people experiencing homelessness for centuries. First used to describe people who were homeless, unemployed, and/or participating in an unlicensed trade, they have come to be used instead to imply criminal activity and laziness. These detrimental terms clearly have no place in 21^st century legislation. 

Bill H.264/S.142 was presented by State Senator Rebecca L. Rausch and was referred to Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. These legislative changes will affirm the equal rights of all persons experiencing homelessness. It is a critical step in combatting the inequalities faced by low-income people and in fighting for racial equity in housing and shelter. 

How to get involved: 

• USE YOUR VOICE 

• Contact your state representative to urge them to vote “yes” on this bill: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/WhereDoIVoteMA/bal/MyElectionInfo.aspx 

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 Calling/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, 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: 

Bill H.264/S.142: An Act providing a bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness 

This bill would protect the fundamental human rights that all people experiencing homelessness should have. It is necessary as a democratic state to protect the rights of all citizens, especially those who face times of hardship. 

Sincerely, [NAME] 

• LEARN MORE 

• See our blog for more information: https://homesforfamilies.wordpress.com/ 

• SHARE THE CAUSE 

• Find us on Twitter @HFFma 
• Find us on Facebook @homesforfamilies 

The lead sponsors of this Bill are: 

• Senator Becca Rausch, Representative Smitty Pignatelli, & Representative Frank Moran 

To read the full Bill, please visit: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/SD1467 

HFF Legislative Priority 6: Right to Counsel in Evictions

 An Act promoting housing stability and homelessness prevention in Massachusetts (S. 874 & H.1436) 

COVID-19 has further exacerbated the housing crisis by increasing the threat of evictions for low-income families. Without an eviction moratorium in place, there is no telling how many evictions would have been filed, but estimates are in the hundreds of thousands, and maybe even a million. Now that the eviction moratorium has expired, evictions are about to come roaring back because tenants have no protections and have not fully recovered from the pandemic.

While tenants may try to fight their eviction case in court, fewer than 10% of tenants are able to obtain legal representation. In contrast, 80% of landlords are represented by legal counsel. This imbalance favors landlords and often results in unjust evictions. Most evictions happen very quickly and with complicated procedural rules, which means a majority of these tenants are forced to navigate this complex process on their own. Landlords often take advantage of this and file meritless eviction cases, knowing that they are more likely to win in court.  

• Source: Massachusetts Trial Court Department, FY 2020 
• Published visual of legal representation imbalance by CHAPA 

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WHAT WILL A RIGHT TO COUNSEL BILL DO?

Senator DiDomenico, along with Rep. Rogers, and Rep. Day have filed a bill in both the House and the Senate that will establish a right to counsel for eviction cases. Bills S.874 and H.1436 will ensure low-income households have access to resources, including full legal representation in eviction cases, which will promote housing stability and prevent homelessness. This will be executed with a pilot Right to Counsel program.  

How does the Right to Counsel Program Work?  

The Right to Counsel Program is administered by the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC). MLAC provides free and full legal assistance and representation with state funding by contracting not-for-profit organizations. This may include legal advice, advocacy, and assistance associated with representation, including the filing of a notice of appearance on behalf of the eligible individual. To qualify, individuals must receive certain public assistance benefits, have an after-tax income that is 80% or less of the area median income (AMI), or be unable to pay for legal representation without impacting life necessities.

The MLAC will provide a form that will notify individuals of their eligibility for a right to legal counsel in eviction proceedings. However, if an eligible tenant or occupant does not receive an approved form or the legal counsel does not have time to file a response, legal assistance must be obtained for the lawsuit to continue. This ensures that tenants and owner-occupants will not be forced to default and accept eviction due to the limited timeline. Furthermore, MLAC will put together an advisory committee that consists of low-income tenants, community-based organizations, statewide advocacy organizations, municipal officials, and others committed to housing stability.  

This is an emergency law and is necessary for public safety in preventing homelessness, overcrowding, and displacement; therefore, this act will not be deferred and will be put into effect immediately if passed.  

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BRIEF HISTORY OF BILL 

In 2021, both Connecticut and Washington passed right to counsel bills for eviction cases, and cities like New York City, Louisville, Cleveland, and Los Angeles have invested in tenant representation and implemented RTC programs successfully. According to Cleveland’s RTC interim report, 93% of their RTC clients who faced eviction were able to avoid displacement, and other cities with similar programs have a 75 to 85% success rate. New York City reports that their eviction rate declined about 30%, and 84% of the represented tenants were able to win their eviction cases in a 2019 report. HFF believes a RTC program will ensure families in Massachusetts will have long-term stable housing through the pandemic and after.  
 

Eviction Help 

If you are currently fighting an eviction without legal assistance, please refer to Greater Boston Legal Services’ Massachusetts Defense for Eviction (MADE) for self-guided eviction help HERE. This completely free guided interview is for Massachusetts tenants who are being evicted. It is estimated to take between 25 and 90 minutes for a typical tenant to use on their own. It will help you make sure that you respond to your landlord’s eviction case correctly. 

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HOW CAN YOU HELP? 

1. 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, 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: HD.1436/S.874: An Act promoting housing stability and homelessness prevention in Massachusetts. This bill will ensure low-income people have access to resources, including full legal representation in eviction cases. 

Sincerely, [NAME] 

2. Use social media!  

Follow HFF on Twitter and Facebook to learn more about RTC. Tweet directly at your Representatives and Senators! 

View Factsheet Draft: https://www.canva.com/design/DAEhnbF8D0g/7p6DtsUr8FtmMrTto4bogw/edit 

For more information, visit The Massachusetts Right to Counsel Coalition website: 

• https://www.massrtc.org/bills.html 

ACLU Tenant’s Right to Counsel Article: 

• https://www.aclu.org/news/racial-justice/tenants-right-to-counsel-is-critical-to-fight-mass-evictions-and-advance-race-equity-during-the-pandemic-and-beyond/ 

Boston Bar Association RTC Report 

• https://bostonbar.org/docs/default-document-library/rtc-report-for-web-or-email.pdf 

HFF Legislative Priority 5: An Act to Prevent COVID-19 Related Evictions

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in the early months of 2020, a temporary prohibition was placed on evictions and foreclosures in Massachusetts. This moratorium, however, was lifted just months later in October 2020. Since then, the state has faced a deadly second wave of the virus, and the housing crisis worsened significantly. The housing crisis took a dramatically disproportionate toll on communities of color and low-income households throughout Massachusetts. Since October, over 8,000 new eviction cases have been filed and over 1,000 “executions” have been issued to landlords, meaning these families can be forcibly removed from their homes by sheriffs or constables. Over 1,000 Massachusetts homeowners are currently at risk of foreclosure. 

Though some programs are providing important resources to prevent evictions, they have not nearly met the needs of the people of Massachusetts. Vulnerable residents are excluded from helpful programs due to the difficulty of navigating the process, and many homeowners are being denied forbearance, the delay of a foreclosure. 

What we need now more than ever is strong legislative action to prevent displacement, address the financial distress caused by the pandemic, and reduce the racial disparities and economic inequality that Massachusetts residents face. 

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What will this bill do?

Bill H.1434/S.891 builds on the eviction protections that were passed in the FY20 budget, Chapter 257 of the Acts of 2020. It closes loopholes in Federal protections which currently leave tenants and homeowners vulnerable, and ensures new federal rental assistance funds will reach those most in need.  

The COVID-19 Housing Equity Bill will: 

• Require landlords to pursue and cooperate with rental assistance programs before pursuing eviction 
• Protect the most vulnerable tenants from forced removal for COVID-19 debts 
• Pause no-fault evictions during the state of emergency and recovery period 
• Reinstate a pause on foreclosures and require forbearance based on federal policies 
• Require the state to adopt equitable principles, flexibility, and simplification in the distribution of rental assistance funds. 

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How to get involved: 

USE YOUR VOICE: contact your state representative to urge them to vote “yes” on this bill:    

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 Calling/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, 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: Bill H.1434/S.891: An act to prevent COVID-19 evictions and foreclosures and promote an equitable housing recovery. 

This bill would prevent evictions for the most vulnerable populations. Many of us have been financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the most detrimental way. Through no fault of our own, we are facing housing instability. We need this bill to prevent foreclosures and evictions during the state of emergency and recovery period. 

Sincerely, [NAME] 

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• Find us on Twitter @HFFma 
• Find us on Facebook @homesforfamilies 

The lead sponsors of this Bill are: 

• Senator Patricia Jehlen, Representative Kevin Honan, & Representative Frank Moran 

To read the full Bill, please visit: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/SD1802 

5/15-5/19 What is happening Under the Golden Dome…

….relative to housing and homelessness?

 

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means will release their budget proposal on Tuesday, May 16th. The deadline to file any amendments to the SWM proposal is Thursday and debates will begin the following Tuesday, May 23rd.  Debates will wrap up in time for Memorial Day Weekend.

The budget proposal release is not the only action and activity taking place at the State House next week, click here for the full schedule of hearings and events for the month of May. 

There are three committee hearings on Monday – the House Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets; the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, and the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change. Both the House and Senate will be in “informal session”.

Monday will be a good day to call your Senator’s office and let them know what you hope they will prioritize in the Senate Budget Debates.  Click here look up your State Senator and below is a sample script:

“Hi, my name is ______ and I live in the Senator’s district in _(your town)__. I am calling because I am concerned about (housing, homelessness, transportation, jobs, education…be specific) and I am asking that the Senator prioritizes these issues during the upcoming budget debates.

And it will also be a good day to write testimony in support of or against any of the bills that are being considered in the week ahead. Verbal testimony should be 3 minutes or less. Written testimony can be submitted to the committee.

Tuesday is the big day! Not only will the budget be released, but there are 12 hearings scheduled!! The Joint Committee on Housing is hosting an Oversight Hearing  (oversight hearings generally include invited panelists from State or Quasi agencies or other experts in the field and the public is open to listen). Other hearings focus on bills, many of which touch on the issue of family homelessness, and are open to the public to listen and/or give testimony:

• The Joint Committee on Education at 10 am: will consider bills (at least 4!) relative to school transportation for children who are homeless, as well as an Act requiring reports on the implementation of McKinney Vento Homelessness Assistance Act
• The Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities at 1 pm: this hearing will cover a range of bills relative to homelessness and to families facing housing instability and poverty including:

  • Bill	Bill Title	Sponsor
    S.30	An Act to bring child support home	Cynthia S. Creem
    S.34	An Act to lift the cap on kids	Sal N. DiDomenico
    S.35	An Act to promote employment	Kenneth J. Donnelly
    S.36	An Act establishing the healthy incentives program	Eileen M. Donoghue
    S.37	An Act promoting financial stability and asset development	James B. Eldridge
    S.71	An Act relative to prevention of EBT fraud	Richard J. Ross
    S.72	An Act to further reduce EBT fraud	Richard J. Ross
    S.73	An Act relative to work requirements	Richard J. Ross
    H.84	An Act to further provide a rental arrearage program	Marjorie C. Decker
    H.85	An Act relative to the well being and care of a child	Marjorie C. Decker
    H.94	An Act requiring the Department of Transitional Assistance to track and report on the use of emergency shelter services by families	Danielle W. Gregoire
    H.101	An Act improving public health through a common application for core food, health and safety-net programs	Jay D. Livingstone
    H.105	An Act relative to strengthening public assistance programs	Shaunna L. O’Connell
    H.106	An Act relative to the out-of-state use of cash assistance	Shaunna L. O’Connell
    H.114	An Act to prevent homelessness among recipients of transitional assistance	Denise Provost
    H.121	An Act preventing funds deposited in children’s savings accounts from counting against cash assistance benefits	Chynah Tyler
    H.1952	An Act to bring child support home	Christine P. Barber

• Other hearings of interest are on Public Safety, Public Health, and Health Care Financing

Wednesday there is one hearing hosted by the Joint Committee on Transportation. Wednesday will be a key day for confirming sponsors for Amendments to the Senate Ways and Means Proposal and Thursday will be the deadline. Now is the time to sign up for our action alerts if you have not already.

Did you know that Massachusetts often near the top of the list for the number of bills filed; but is close to the bottom of the list of the number of bills passed. This slightly outdated article lists us as passing only 5% of all bills. However, hearings give us all a chance to be heard; to make our case, to elevate an issue, to interact with those that make decisions impacting our lives, to support legislators fighting the good fight, and to call out injustices of bad bills.

For more on Legislative and Budget advocacy, click here for a recent webinar (slides or full presentation with audio) we did with our colleagues on the On Solid Ground Coalition.

LH

Following the Amendments on malegislature.gov

The House Committee on Ways and Means released their budget proposal on Monday, April 10^th, a change from the typical Wednesday release to accommodate for Good Friday. Representatives had until 5pm on Thursday to add amendments to the $40.3Billion spending proposal.  Amendments can add additional funding and change line item language. Amendments must be filed by at least one representative, and others can add their name as co-sponsors after the amendment has been filed.  Historically, representatives co-sponsored an amendment by signing their names next to the corresponding number in a book in the clerk’s office with a quill pen.

Advocates and others would have to go to the clerk’s office at the State House and ask to see “the book” to see who had signed on. Now, legislators can use the “quill” feature on an online system that we can all track. Technology makes the process much more transparent.

The Massachusetts Legislature’s website had a bit of a face lift since last budget season. This blog post gives an overview of how to navigate the website so that you can read the various amendments, see what amendments your representative filed, and check to see if your State Representative is supporting the Budget Amendments that are important to you.

Step 1. Go to https://malegislature.gov/

Step 2. Go to the House Debate Page

Step 3. Use the Filter

When you enter your search terms, don’t forget to click the “filter” icon; use the “clear filter” feature to start a new search.  

Search Tips

• If you don’t know who your State Representative is, click here
• Housing programs all are listed with line item number 7004-
• Line items we follow are: MRVP (7004-9024); Emergency Shelter (7004-0101); and HomeBASE (7004-0108)
• Key words include: homeless, housing, voucher…

Step 4: Find your Amendment(s)

Step 5: Review the Amendment

Amendment #780 is an example of a funding amendment; striking the budget amount of $100M for MRVP and inserting $120M.

Click here to read the “technical amendment” #382 that was filed on MRVP 

Step 6: Take Action

If your Representative is signed on: say thank you!

If your Representative is not signed on: ask him/her to consider co-sponsoring.

You can call, email, use social media, visit the State House, attend an event.

Feel free to contact us with any questions or for more information.  For a sample script and a list of the amendments we are watching, click here

Stay tuned for more information; we will do our best to keep the blog updated as the budget process continues.  Representatives have up until the debates begin to co-sponsor and get educated about the amendments.

The debates begin on Monday, April 24th!

Get Ready, Get Set, Go Advocate!!

Summary of Key Line Items and Amendments Relative to Housing and Homelessness

Yesterday, the House Committee on Ways and Means released their FY2017 Budget Proposal. Representatives have until mid-day tomorrow, Friday 4/15, to file amendments.

Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP, line item 7004-9024)

The HWM FY2017 budget proposal funds MRVP at $100 million, which includes carry over funding unspent in FY2016.  However, this funding level is not sufficient to cover the cost of new vouchers and needed program fixes.

Amendment #52 filed by Representative Paul Donato: increases funding for MRVP to $120 million. To co-sponsor this amendment, representatives or the their staff can sign on using the LAWS system.

Amendment to be filed by Representative Sean Garballey: aligns MRVP mobile voucher rent cap with current HUD FMRs, allows for a data management system and requires DHCD to begin issuing new vouchers. To co-sponsor this amendment, representatives, or their staff, should contact John Rosenberry in Rep. Garballey’s office.  

 

Emergency Assistance (EA, family shelter, line item 7004-0101)

The HWM FY2017 budget proposal funded EA at $155.1 million and made no changes to eligibility for the program.

Amendment to be filed by Representative Marjorie Decker: allows access to shelter for families who are at imminent risk of staying places not meant for human habitation.  To co-sponsor this amendment, representatives, or their staff, should contact Tim Mahoney in Rep. Decker’s office.

Amendment to be filed by Representative Danielle Gregoire: requires DHCD to report certain data tracking points to the Legislature, including basic demographics of families experiencing homelessness and reasons that families are denied access to shelter. To co-sponsor this amendment, representatives, or their staff, should contact Jennifer Mercadante in Rep. Gregoire’s office. 

Amendment #66 filed by Representative Adrian Madaro: continues funding for Homes for Families to provide technical assistance. To co-sponsor this amendment, representatives or the their staff can sign on using the LAWS system.

HomeBASE (line item 7004-0108)

The HWM FY2017 budget proposal funds HomeBASE at $31.9 million, a slight increase over current funding. It also opens access to a limited amount of funding to families experiencing homelessness who are sheltered in domestic violence or treatment facilities.

Amendment to be filed by Representative Christine Barber: This amendment builds off of the pilot program proposed in the budget to make HomeBASE available to income-eligible families in domestic violence and substance abuse programs. The amendment also allows families to renew HomeBASE in order to avoid evictions, loss of housing stability, or the need to re-enter shelter, and the amendment continues forward funding of the program to the nonprofit organizations that administer HomeBASE on behalf of the state. To co-sponsor this amendment, representatives or the their staff can sign on using the LAWS system.

 

Other Amendments:

Earned Income Tax Credit Amendments Sponsored By Representative Decker

• To increase the Massachusetts Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) from 23% to 50% of the federal credit
• To allow victims of DV to be eligible for the credit and direct the Department of Revenue to increase EITC outreach.

To co-sponsor this amendment, representatives or their staff should contact Tim Mahoney in Representative Decker’s office

Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) Work Study Amendment sponsored by Representative Sannicandro
This amendment provides $2.35 million to fund paid work study for families on TAFDC at community colleges and to pay for staff to help these students succeed in college.

To cosponsor this amendment, representatives or their staff can contact Becca Miller at Rebecca.Miller@mahouse.gov or 722-2013 by noon on Friday

Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (DWD 7002-1074) Amendment sponsored by Representative Wagner
This amendment to provide $4 million to support sector orientated workforce training that reflects best practices in workforce development including collaborations between employers, education programs and community based organizations.

To cosponsor this amendment, representatives or their staff can contact Rory O’Hanlon at Rory.O’Hanlon@mahouse.gov or 722-2370

TAFDC Job Search Amendment sponsored by Representative Cabral               

This amendment requires proof of job search 60 days from application in order to be eligible for benefits.

To cosponsor amendment, representatives or their staff can contact Al Medeiros at Alves.Medeiros@mahouse.gov or 722-2017

Please stay tuned for more analysis and amendment information over the next two weeks.

In the meantime, we encourage you to follow along on the State’s Budget Page, read MLRI’s full budget analysis, and review the chart below with funding in key line items.

Click on the Picture to Enlarge

LH

 

Some context and charts around the Governor’s Proposal For Family Shelter in FY17

On January 27^th, Governor Baker released his recommendations for the state’s operating budget as a bill to the House of Representatives.  This year, his budget proposal is referred to as the House 2 Budget.  This is the Governor’s opportunity to recommend spending levels and any changes to the language or policies directing how the funding should be spent and the programs run.

The chart below highlights a few of the key line items relative to housing and homelessness.  The remainder of this post will specifically focus on the Emergency Assistance, or family shelter, line item, which is [affectionately] known as line item 7004-0101 in the State Budget.

No changes were recommended relative to shelter eligibility or other program functioning.  However, the proposal removed all oversight and reporting language [and earmarks].  This is the language that mandates the Legislature have 60 day advance notice of regulatory changes, and that charges the Department on Housing and Community Development (DHCD) with basic data reporting requirements [like monthly and quarterly reports].  It seems to be commonplace for the Administration to remove this language [and the Legislature to put it back in].

As the chart indicates, the Governor has recommended $191, 893,513 for the Emergency Assistance Program.  This program funds over 3,500 shelter units; as well as the corresponding staff, service and operating costs; overflow capacity in motel rooms; additional diversion dollars; and some earmarked funding for plays spaces, transportation and food pilots, and technical assistance from Homes for Families. While this funding [$191M] is considerably higher than the $154M Governor Baker recommended last year – or the $155M the Legislature allocated in their final budget – it is less than the $197.9 that is projected to be spent this fiscal year.

Each year, since the state has had to rely on motels to meet the need for shelter, a supplemental budget has been required as the total dollar amount needed for motels is somewhat of a moving target.  Typically, 7004-0101 is underfunded from the start, much like the snow and ice line item, and additional funding is requested once actual demand and dollar amounts are determined.  Last week, the Governor filed a Supplemental Budget proposal with the Legislature; included was $41M for EA.

There is some logic to under-funding EA.  The goal is always to get out of motels – to increase prevention, to increase housing, to use short term resources, for the rent wage gap and other realities of inequality to disappear on the basis of good intentions and incremental policy changes – so why invest upfront? The graphic below, a newly updated version from last year, provides an answer:

Click Picture to Enlarge

Not adequately funding EA from the start causes complications in a system that is constantly adapting to policy changes and new initiatives. Simply put, it is inefficient. It places an unnecessary administrative burden on shelter providers and staff at the Department of Housing and Community Development, and on the Legislature who have to field panicked calls from Homes for Families and shelter providers as they process the supplemental budget, which may include complicated issues that require more time than the shelter contracts have.

So, what do you think? Is this the year that we try stability for a system that is charged with supporting families to achieve housing stability?

Here is an idea – how about the Legislature re-inserts the advanced notice language, adds some more data and reporting language to better track the use of the funds and functioning of the program, and provides adequate funding? That way, the shelter providers can have 12 month contracts and the Legislature can keep a close eye on the program. The motel number is at its lowest since 2010.  The overall caseload is also down. These accomplishments could not have been made without shelter providers’ hard work to expand programs and implement and adapt to new policies and programs. So, hey, if there is money left over at the end of the year, the state can invest it in HOUSING!

LH

We raised #OurVoice for more housing!

We gave testimony in front of the Joint Committee on Housing.  Here is what we said:

September 29, 2015

Good morning and thank you Chairwoman Dorcena-Forry and Chairman Honan and members of the Committee.  My name is Libby Hayes, executive director of Homes for Families.   I am here today to testify in support of House Bill 1111: An Act Relative to Housing Production sponsored by Chairman Honan.

First I would like to thank the Chairman, this committee and the legislature for your commitment to restoring the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program and for maintaining the safety net for families that are victims of our housing market’s impossibilities.  MRVP is one of the most critical tools to address the housing affordability crisis in the Commonwealth.  However, MRVP alone cannot solve it.  We simply do not have enough units to house the people of the Commonwealth.  This bill aims to change that.

As the Pope so clearly articulated last week, “We can find no social or moral justification, no justification whatsoever, for lack of housing,” 

Yet, here we are –  with:

• a need of 17,000 new units per year to meet housing demand and sustain our economy;
• over 229,000 Massachusetts households are paying more than 50% of their income to rent;
• over 10,000 families per year applying for emergency shelter;
• 19,515 students in the MA school system were identified as homeless last academic year;
• 1,245 families are living in roadside motels because our family shelters are full

We recently released a report synthesizing information from surveys taken by family shelter providers.  The number one barrier to re identified was the lack of affordable housing. Each summer Homes for Families hosts an event which convenes families from shelters and motels from across the state, to discuss solutions to homelessness. This year, like each year before, participant recognize housing as the number one solution.

According to Enterprise Community Partners and Harvard’s Joint Center on Housing Studies. The number of U.S. households that spend at least half their income on rent—the “severely cost-burdened,”—could increase 25 percent over the next decade.  Last week, the Boston Foundation’s 2015 indicator’s report shared that more than 85 percent of the positions added to the Boston economy since 2009 pay less than $38,000 a year – a big gap from the over $60,000 per year needed for a family to be housing and economically stable.

Rent continues to outpace wages at a rapid rate.  Rent increases are also outpacing voucher limits.  We often hear legislators say that their number one constituent call is related to housing.  In my office, we have had an increase in calls from families with vouchers in hand that cannot find an apartment that meets the qualifications. 

Here is our reality in the Commonwealth:  right now we have a housing crisis caused by a lack of housing stock and a vast gap between wages and rent.  Recent reports show that dynamics will only get worse. As a result, our homelessness crisis will only increase.  The housing stability forecast for the lowest income families – and children – in the Commonwealth is grim.

But there is good news – we know the path we are on, we are aware of the dynamics at play, and we have the collective ability to turn towards solutions.  Housing Solutions.  We know housing construction has a multiplier effect on the economy.  We know stable housing leads to better health outcomes, and leads families on a path to economic mobility. And we know that there is resistance to building and multifamily housing….but there is also resistance to motels.

Housing is the foundation. – for families, for stability, and for a thriving Commonwealth – and to ending our family homelessness crisis.  We need the physical housing structures – and for families to have either the subsidies and/or wages to achieve housing stability.  Massachusetts has a choice – to continue to manage the crisis or to start solving the dynamics that have caused it. This bill is the foundation for solution. This bill provides the tools to build the housing we need.

We agree with Pope Francis, “We can find no social or moral justification, no justification whatsoever, for lack of housing,” and hope this committee reports favorably on the Act Relative to Housing Production.

LH

#BackToSchool Homework Assignment: Think about the 19,515 students that were identified as homeless last school year

Despite the summer weather, we can feel the buzz of the Commonwealth gearing up for another year – parents buying school supplies; teachers setting up classrooms; first day of school pictures being posted on facebook; figuring out bus schedules and stops, carpools, riding the T, and safest walking routes; uniforms, clothes and shoes; fresh haircuts; first day jitters; and new friends, new routines, new teachers.

But as this headline recently pointed out, thousands of children are “shouldering more than backpacks.”  Last academic year the Massachusetts Department of Education identified 19,515 children who were shouldering homelessness along with the homework in their backpacks. Here is the breakdown by grade:

 

This trend, unfortunately, is not getting better.  As the graph below shows, we have seen a steady increase of students identified as homeless in recent years.

Source: MA DOE

Digression

This data does not include college students, which in MA, is something we must also consider.  Not only because of the number of colleges, but also the job market and competition that results from both. The National Alliance to End Homelessness recently put out a brief and the Chronicle of Higher Education highlighted one mom shouldering college and homelessness.

 

Back to the subject at hand: the 19,515 school aged students who were homeless last year and the potential 20,000 that may face homelessness this year.  Here is a list of links, information and thoughts:

1. Children who are homeless have special right per the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Act of 1987 
2. The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty put together this FAQ on the act. It is an oldie and wonky, but the facts remain the same.
3. Here is a link to the Massachusetts Department of Education’s page regarding McKinney-Vento,   complete with contact lists, regulations, data, power points and more
4. Of note, there has been one significant clarification made this school year: the US Department of Education only considers a student’s school of origin rather than their district of origin relative to the enforcement of the McKinney-Vento law. Massachusetts officials previously interpreted the law to mean the district (IE town or school system) of origin but the Feds have issued guidance that MA officials can only enforce that children can remain in their physical school of origin if they are forced to move out of their community by homelessness.  In other words, if a child has been promoted from elementary school to middle school, s/he does not have a school of origin and must begin the new school year in the town where the student resides, not where they lived prior to becoming homeless. Same goes for students graduating from middle school to high school who may be in a shelter or motel in a new community.  All other protections regarding enrollment remain.  A school can allow the student to attend school in the district of origin, but cannot be reimbursed for transportation per the US Dept of Education under the McKinney-Vento Law. 
5. This series and video, Trying to Live, Trying to Learn is from last year and from Denver, but it is a great piece of journalism and is about the same challenges we face in Massachusetts.
6. Homes for Families (on our own and in partnership with Project Hope) has done trainings for teachers, corps members, teaching students and visited with students in elementary and high school classrooms. We are always up for talking about homeless, awareness and solutions. Contact us if you are interested in learning more.
7. Massachusetts ranks as the best state in America for our education system. We have an obligation to educate children who are facing homelessness, to provide supports and to track outcomes.
8. We also have an obligation to advocate for solutions; 19,515 is a number that is unacceptable. Not because of the cost of transporting children. It is simply unjust and wrong.  In a state as wealthy as ours, as compassionate as ours, and as smart as ours – we must work together to #BendTheTrend.  We can not watch the number continue to increase.
9. If we are serious about ending homelessness, as a society, we must start with the children. 

Most lists end at number 10, not 9  But final thoughts are being left to you.  What should be added?

 

LH

Help Stop the Governor’s Proposal to Restrict Access to Shelter and Cut MRVP

While many have taken to the beach or a lake to cool off from this week’s summer heat, folks on Beacon Hill are still hard at work, as they attempt to close out the state’s FY2015 budget and finalize the FY2016 budget. You might be scratching your head and thinking, “hey wait, FY2015 ended June 30^th and Governor Baker signed the FY2016 budget into law, soooooo… what’s this all about?

Actually, you’d be right. Both of those have come and gone, yet there remains some open business for our elected officials to handle before they break out of official session on July 31^st. Here are the deets:

MRVP and the FY2016 Budget

 

screen shot from https://malegislature.gov/Budget/Process

The final FY2016 Conference Committee budget voted on by the MA Legislature funded the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program at $90.9 million, which would allow for approximately 800 new MRVP vouchers. Unfortunately, Governor Baker vetoed $3 million from the line item which would result in the loss of 300 of these vouchers. As you know, we cannot afford to forfeit even one voucher to budget cuts.

Please take a moment to contact both your State Representative and State Senator to ask that they override the MRVP veto. If you are uncertain how to contact your elected officials, click here. Below is a script for you to use:

“Hi. My name is ________________, and I live/work in __________________. I am calling to ask my representative/senator to work to override Governor Patrick’s veto of $3 million to MRVP and restore funding to $90.9 million for FY2016.

 

I support MRVP because: ___________________________________________________________.”

 

EA and the FY2015 Supplemental Budget

In his supplemental budget proposal to close out the FY2015 budget, Governor Baker inserts language that would change the regulations that determine access to Emergency Assistance, or family shelter in the 2016 fiscal year.     If supported by the legislature, families who are staying in units  unfit for human habitation and those in irregular housing situations would no longer be eligible for shelter.

Both the House and Senate rejected the governor’s attempt to bring these same restrictions through the state budget process. We are in communication with Legislative leadership to ensure that the state does not implement further restrictions by keeping this harmful language out of the final version of the supplemental budget. In the meantime, you can help by calling the governor’s office at 617.725.4005 and asking that he remove this harmful language from his proposal. Here is a sample script you can use:

“Hi. My name is _______________ , and I live/work in ________________ . I am calling to ask that Governor Baker reconsider Section 30 his supplemental budget proposal to further restrict access to homeless families applying for shelter. Please ask him to remove the language that would turn away children staying in places unfit for human habitation and in irregular housing situations from shelter in his FY2015 supplemental budget.

 

This issue matters to me because: _________________________________________________.”

Whether you are a family who is experiencing homelessness, have struggled to obtain shelter, a provider working with families in these situations or an otherwise concerned stakeholder, please share your concerns with Governor Baker. It is our voice that needs to be heard!!

DS