Housing/Homelessness in FY23 Budget
From the Western Mass Network to End Homelessness
The State Senate adopted its Fiscal Year 2023 budget at the end of May. It includes many significant investments in housing and homelessness.
On the plus side, the Senate budget:
- adopted a $1 million increase in youth homelessness funding;
- improved HomeBASE so that participating families will have the opportunity to increase their income without fear of being terminated from HomeBASE;
- improved the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) so that tenant’s utility payments are included in the calculation of their rent share and rent and utilities would be capped at 30% of income instead of the current general standard of 40% of income for rent
At the same time, unfortunately, most of the Network’s key amendment priorities were not adopted, including our two highest priorities: (1) additional Safe Havens beds to provide intensively supported shelter for chronically homeless individuals; and (2) expanding access to RAFT to address the substantial loss in eviction prevention resources with the end of the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). See the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless’ advocacy letter that you can still sign and share! For a more information and links to analysis and advocacy, look HERE.
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