Weigh in on Monday with the Ways and Means Committee in support of key FY24 budget priorities
Monday, April 10th, beginning at 11:00 a.m. at the State House. Following Governor Healey's release of her annual budget request to the Legislature in March, the Committee is now in the process of writing the House and Senate versions of the fiscal year 2024 state budget. Monday's hearing is a crucial day for stakeholders to gather and share testimony in support of funding solutions to homelessness, housing instability, and poverty across the Commonwealth. Sign up now to testify in-person.
Not available Monday or unable to travel to Boston? There are still ways for you to join us in the advocacy! We encourage you to sign up to testify virtually and to submit written testimony to the chairs for Monday's hearing, Senator Liz Miranda (email address: Liz.Miranda@masenate.gov) and Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante (email address: Ann-Margaret.Ferrante@mahouse.gov.)
We hope you will weigh in with the committee with your thoughts and uplift the Coalition's FY24 budget priorities.
Our top budget priorities include:
- Increasing funding for the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition Program (RAFT, Line Item 7004-9316) and expanding access to upstream homelessness prevention resources to $250 million
- Adequately funding and protecting emergency shelter and service programs for children and families experiencing homelessness and supporting key provisions in the Emergency Assistance program line item (EA, Line Item 7004-0101 and the related administrative account, Line Item 7004-0099); EA funding request: At least $325 million
- Establishing a $10 million bridge subsidy program for older adults facing housing instability while awaiting longer term housing supports
- Addressing the needs of unaccompanied youth and young adults who are experiencing homelessness by increasing funding to at least $12 million for housing/wraparound support services under the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) youth and young adult homelessness program (Line Item 4000-0007)
- Increasing funding for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP, Line Item 7004-9024) to $250 million
- Increasing funding to $60 million and providing easy renewals for families participating in the HomeBASE Program (a.k.a. Massachusetts Short-Term Housing Transition Program, Line Item 7004-0108)
You can see our full list of FY24 budget priorities here:
Thanks for your collaboration and your work to prevent and end homelessness!
Budget Hearing Details:
Monday, April 10th
Beginning at 11 a.m., and likely will run until late afternoon
Committee staff anticipate that oral testimony likely will be limited to 3 minutes per person.
In-Person Participation:
Massachusetts State House
24 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02133
(Entrance: Beacon Street side)
Virtual Participation:
The Committee will share a Microsoft Teams link on Monday morning with you if you sign up to testify virtually.
Written Testimony:
