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May 29, 2024


Dear Kelly,


Thank you to everyone who signed our one-minute online action, sent emails, and made calls to State Senators in support of key fiscal year 2025 housing stability, shelter access, and cash assistance budget amendments. We are writing today to share updates on the outcomes of key amendments.


Please see our summary of the outcomes of key budget amendments below. By clicking on the amendment numbers, you can see if your State Senator signed on as a cosponsor. If you see that your Senator sponsored or cosponsored one or more amendments, please follow up to thank them for their support. Their contact information can be found here.



We will be back in touch soon about the next advocacy steps once the budget officially enters the Conference Committee phase, where designated House and Senate members negotiate the details of the compromise FY25 budget.


We remain deeply grateful for your teamwork and collaboration!


In solidarity,

Kelly and Julia



Kelly Turley

Associate Director

kelly@mahomeless.org


Julia Garvey

Community Organizer/Legislative Advocate

julia.garvey@mahomeless.org


P.S. Stay up to date with the Coalition’s advocacy initiatives by following us on social media: Instagram, Facebook, and X/Twitter. (Links also included at the top of this message.)

Overview of Key Amendments to the Senate Budget and Outcomes


The Senate conducted its budget debate from May 20th until just after midnight on May 24th, reviewing 1,100 amendments. Amendments were grouped into categories, such as Economic Development, Health and Human Services, and Transportation, and then considered as part of one of 10 bundles or individually on the floor.


  • Amendment #240"Improvements to the RAFT Homelessness Prevention Program," from Senator Gomez. This amendment to Line Item 7004-9316 would allow eligible households to access up to $10,000 in RAFT funds in a 12-month period, up from the current cap of $7,000; prohibit the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) from imposing a notice to quit requirement on households seeking assistance with back rent and move RAFT benefits upstream; require direct-to-tenant payments in cases where the landlord is not cooperative with the RAFT application and documentation process; and direct EOHLC to provide forward rent payments for eligible households if the award would not exceed the 12-month benefit cap.
  • Amendment Outcome: Amendment #240 was withdrawn after Senator Gomez made remarks in support of the amendment on the Senate floor.


  • Amendment #241"Improvements to Emergency Assistance for Children and Families," from Senator GomezThis amendment to Line Item 7004-0101 would expand tracking and reporting language to include data on families placed on the Emergency Assistance waiting list; require EOHLC to make every effort to place families approved for EA immediately in traditional shelters, hotels/motels, or overflow spaces; create an ombudsperson unit within EOHLC, with language similar to that which was enacted with the FY22 budget; and officially remove the EA asset limit.
  • Amendment Outcome: Amendment #241 was withdrawn after Senator Gomez made remarks in support of the amendment on the Senate floor.


  • Amendment #603, "Clarifying Time Limit Implementation Date for Family Shelter," from Senator Payano. This amendment would add an outside section to clarify that the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities should not consider Emergency Assistance family shelter benefits received prior to June 1, 2024 in calculating participants’ eligibility for ongoing EA shelter benefits. This is in response to EOHLC announcing that the 9-month time limit on shelter benefits that was included in the April FY24 supplemental budget (Chapter 88 of the Acts of 2024) would be calculated retroactively for families already in shelter as of June 1, 2024. 
  • Amendment Outcome: Amendment #603 was withdrawn.
  • Related Resources:
  • Amendment fact sheet
  • FY24 supplemental budget spreadsheet comparing the family homelessness components of the final version and the earlier proposals from the Governor, House and Senate, as well as details about the December 2023 FY23 closeout budget
  • Time limit policy details from EOHLC


  • Amendment #325, "Somerville Pilot to Prevent Older Adults from Experiencing Homelessness," from Senator Jehlen. This amendment to Line Item 7004-0107 would add $100,000 to the Local Housing Programs Earmarks account to launch a bridge subsidy pilot program for low-income older adults, ages 60+, in the City of Somerville who are at risk of eviction.
  • Amendment Outcome: The redrafted version of Amendment #325 was adopted as part of Yes Bundle 1!


  • Amendment #323"Improvements to HomeBASE," from Senator JehlenThis amendment to Line Item 7004-0108 would allow families to renew HomeBASE benefits beyond 3 years if needed and provide upstream access to benefits to prevent the loss of existing housing and to promote housing stability.
  • Amendment Outcome: Amendment #323 was rejected.


  • Amendment #893"Identification for youth and adults experiencing homelessness," from Senator R. Kennedy. This amendment to Line Item 1595-6368 would add $75,000 to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund to provide no-cost Mass IDs to youth and adults experiencing homelessness. It would build on legislation unanimously passed by the Senate in July 2023: S.2251, An Act to provide identification to youth and adults experiencing homelessness.
  • Amendment Outcome: Amendment #893 was rejected as part of No Bundle 4.


  • Amendment #578, "Lift Kids Out of Deep Poverty," from Senator DiDomenicoThis amendment would make changes to the Emergency Aid to Elderly, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC, Line Item 4408-1000) and Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC, Line Item 4403-2000) cash assistance programs. This amendment would move up the start date for 10% grant increases for EAEDC and TAFDC from April 2025 to October 2024 and provide more funding in the accounts to pay for the additional months of grant increases. It would increase EAEDC funding by $9 million to $192,182,092 and TAFDC funding by $20 million to $516,214,609.
  • Amendment Outcome: Amendment #578 was rejected as part of No Bundle 2.


  • Amendment #337, "EA Asset Limits," from Senator Eldridge. This amendment would add an outside section to the budget to officially remove the Emergency Assistance program asset limit.
  • Amendment Outcome: Amendment #337 was rejected as part of No Bundle 1. 


  • Amendment #218, "Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program," from Senator Lovely. This amendment would add a new outside section to codify the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP_ into state statute; ensure that any unspent funds from one fiscal year would be carried into the next fiscal year; enshrine the ability to use Small Area Fair Market Rents in determining payment standards; require inspections of units before the initial assistance payments are made and at least every two years after that; provide administering agencies with at least $80/voucher/month; and require data collection and reporting.
  • Amendment Outcome: Amendment #218 was rejected as part of No Bundle 1.


  • Amendment #577, "State-funded SNAP Assistance," from Senator DiDomenico. This amendment would add a line item under the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) to provide $12 million for state-funded food benefits for certain immigrants who have Lawful Permanent Resident status, are permanently residing in the U.S. under color of law (PRUCOL status), or are humanitarian parolees. It also would require DTA to provide training to their staff so they can thoroughly screen families and individuals for federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits before approving households for benefits from the limited state-funded program.
  • Amendment outcome: Amendment #577 was rejected as part of No Bundle 2.


  • Amendment #552, "TAFDC Clothing Allowance," from Senator DiDomenico. This amendment to Line Item 4403-2000 would increase the annual children's clothing allowance in the Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children program from $450/eligible child to $500. It also would increase the funding for the line item by $3.5 million.
  • Amendment outcome: Amendment #552 was adopted with a unanimous roll call vote, 39–0, after Senator DiDomenico made remarks in support of the amendment on the Senate floor!


  • Amendment #282, "Boston Area Youth - Cash Assistance For Stable Housing," from Senator Edwards. This amendment to Line Item 4000-0007 would earmark $100,000 in the unaccompanied youth homelessness housing and services program for the launch of BAY-CASH, to provide direct cash assistance to unaccompanied youth and young adults who are experiencing homelessness.
  • Amendment outcome: Amendment #282 was rejected as part of No Bundle 1.


See the Coalition's FY25 budget chart for more details and links: https://tinyurl.com/mchfy2025.


Looking for updates on other amendments? See the full list of amendments and outcomes here.


Thank you again for your advocacy!.