Please join us online THIS Friday, September 27th for our next Housing and Benefits Committee meeting

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September 25, 2024

Hello!

It's almost time for our September Housing and Benefits Committee meeting, coming up this Friday, September 27th, 10:00–11:30 a.m. on Zoom. Please RSVP and plan to join us!

Here is our agenda:

Welcome/Introductions

Overview of State of Homelessness: 2024 Edition – Presented by Andrew Hall, Research Analyst, National Alliance to End Homelessness - Homelessness Research Institute
"The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to end homelessness in the United States. [They] use research and data to find solutions to homelessness; [they] work with federal and local partners to create a solid base of policy and resources that support those solutions; and then [they] help communities implement them."
"The State of Homelessness in America is a yearly report that charts progress in ending homelessness in the United States. It uses the most recently available data to present national and state trends in homelessness, trends in populations at risk of homelessness and trends in the types and utilization of assistance available to people experiencing homelessness."
The State of Homelessness: 2024 Edition
National information
Massachusetts data dashboard

Updates on the Emergency Assistance Family Shelter System & The Work of Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN) – Presented by Judy Wolberg, Retired Midwife and Volunteer, BIJAN & Carolyn Chou, Executive Director, Homes for All Massachusetts and Volunteer, BIJAN
On July 23rd, Governor Healey announced new policies that prioritize certain children and families for Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter and force other families to choose: stay 5 days in a temporary overflow shelter and then become ineligible for EA shelter for 6 months, or remain on the EA waiting list even if they have nowhere else to go. These policies went into effect on August 1st and have resulted in many children and families awaiting EA shelter placement with no safe place to sleep at night.
The Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN) is a "community network of faith communities, individuals and other activist groups working to reduce the escalating harm of our immigration system in the current political context."
BIJAN has been on the ground, supporting families experiencing homelessness with hotel stays, water, food, blankets, diapers, transportation, and more. Specifically, BIJAN volunteers have been showing up daily at the Wollaston T Station in Quincy to provide support to families sleeping outside the T.
The Coalition alongside, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, Homes for All Massachusetts, UU Mass Action, City Life/Vida Urbana, Lynn United for Change, Greater Boston Legal Services, and other allied organizations have held actions outside of the State House, outside of Governor Healey's Office, and most recently, at the Embrace Memorial, calling on the Governor to suspend the current limitations and on the Legislature to intervene to stop these unfair and unprecedented eligibility restrictions. Learn more here: https://www.mahomeless.org/protect-access-to-shelter
Please continue to sign and share our one-minute online action to uphold the Commonwealth's four-decade commitment to providing shelter and services to children and families experiencing homelessness. This online action will be sent to Governor Healey, Senate President Spilka, House Speaker Mariano, and your own State Legislators: https://www.mahomeless.org/post/protect-families-access-to-state-funded-shelter-and-supports
Details and resources from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and the Healey Administration on the policy changes:
EA guidance on contact list and prioritization procedures
Information on EA contact list
8/1 policy FAQs
EA family options and resources flyer

Legislative Updates – Presented by Kelly Turley, Associate Director, Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless & Julia Garvey, Community Organizer/Legislative Advocate, Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless
In July 2023, the full State Senate unanimously passed Senator Robyn Kennedy's bill, Senate Bill 2251, to provide easier access to Mass IDs for youth and adults experiencing homelessness. It has been awaiting action in the House Committee on Ways and Means for over a year. In April 2024, the Committee on Transportation reported out its House companions, House Bill 3388, accompanied by House Bill 3360, favorably and referred it to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
MA ID bill fact sheet
With the legislative session set to end in a few months, we are asking folks to please sign and share our updated one-minute online action to House Speaker Ron Mariano, House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz, and your own State Representative to take swift action to advance the Senate version of the Mass ID Access Bill. Thank you!
On July 29th, Governor Healey signed the $57.78 billion FY25 budget into law. Read the Governor's press release here.
We are grateful that the FY25 budget includes an amendment from Senator Pat Jehlen that establishes an $100,000 earmark in Line Item 7004-0107 for a bridge subsidy pilot program for older adults in Somerville.
See the Coalition's budget chart for more details: https://tinyurl.com/mchfy2025.
On August 6th, Governor Healey signed the Affordable Homes Act, also known as the Housing Bond Bill, into law. Read the Governor's press release here, and CHAPA's statement with an analysis of the bill here.