On May 9, 2023, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means released its budget proposal for fiscal year 2024. In addition to providing an analysis of the budget, MLRI is working alongside coalition partners to advocate for amendments that would allow the budget to better serve low-income people. We encourage you to reach out to your State Senators to ask them to support these crucial amendments. Find your State Senator and their contact information here.

 

Benefits & Food Security

State-funded SNAP Assistance and TAFDC Benefits for Non-citizens (Amendment 363)
Senator DiDomenico, Feeding Our Neighbors Coalition

Restores access to basic food and cash assistance for low-income legally-present immigrant households – including many new arrivals who are currently ineligible for federal SNAP and cash assistance.  

Hunger Free Campus Initiative (Amendment 663)
Senator Lovely, Hunger Free Campus Coalition

Provides $4 million in grants to public 2- and 4-year colleges and minority serving institutions to address food security on campus.

 

Racial Justice

No Cost Calls (Amendment 941)
Senator Miranda

Creates a stronger guarantee of access to calls by giving clearer guidance on when individuals in prison and jail can make calls, and by permitting tablets to be used for calls where tablets already in use can be calling-enabled.

 

Housing

Tenancy protections (Amendment 176)
Senator Edwards

Amends outside Section 35 and would require the court to dismiss Chapter 257 cases upon approval of rental assistance and payment of the full amount due to the landlord and to seal the court eviction record upon the tenant’s petition.

Increased funding for the public housing operating subsidy (Amendment 195)
Senator Liz Miranda

Increases the public housing operating subsidy to $125M, an $18M increase over the Senate Ways & Means request. The subsidy is critical to maintaining and preserving the 43,000 state funded public housing for families, seniors, and people with disabilities.

Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (Amendment 215)
Senator Gomez

Retains the current $10,000/year cap on benefits, instead of reducing the cap to $7,000/year, and increases RAFT funding by $55 million to provide $250 million in direct appropriations for RAFT in FY24.

Improvements to Emergency Assistance for Children and Families (Amendment 217)
Senator Gomez

Increases the income eligibility limit from 115% of the federal poverty guidelines (FPG) to 200% FPG for families applying for Emergency Assistance; increases the income limit for families already in EA shelter from 200% FPG to 285% FPG; restores the FY22 language to establish an ombudsperson unit to assist families applying for and participating in EA and HomeBASE; eliminates the EA asset limit; and directs the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to make every effort to place families in their own room while in shelter to increase privacy and dignity and improve public health.

Funding for tenant participation and resident maintenance in public housing (Amendment 236)
Senator Edwards

Provides $1M for tenant participation in state public housing to raise the amount from $6/unit to $25/unit as in federal public housing and $1M to launch a resident maintenance program. 

Support the Small Properties State Acquisition Fund (Amendment 241)
Senator Jehlen 

Provides $12 million to support the Small Properties State Acquisition Fund. This fund is designed to support long term preservation of affordable housing units.

Eliminate Asset Limits for Homeless Shelters (Amendment 279)
Senator Eldridge

Prohibits the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities from imposing an asset limit for Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter eligibility, bringing the asset limit regulations in line with TAFDC regulations that EA has traditionally followed.

Improvements to HomeBASE (Amendment 323)
Senator Jehlen

Makes critical changes to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities’ HomeBASE rehousing program for families with children who have experienced homelessness. Increases the value of HomeBASE subsidies to $30,000 over 2 years, up from the proposed level of $20,000 over 2 years, while maintaining Senate Ways and Means’ language directing the Executive Office to use at least $10 million to support families that need more funding beyond the cap.

Rental Bridge Subsidies for Older Adults (Amendment 397)
Senator Jehlen

Adds $10 million to a new line item, 9110-XXXX, to establish a short-term housing bridge subsidy program for low-income older adults (age 60 and over) facing housing instability. The funding would allow up to 1,000 older adults to access bridge subsidies so they can remain in place while they await approval for state-funded public housing or a subsidy through the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program.

Improvements to the RAFT Homelessness Prevention Program (Amendment 422)
Senator Rausch

Prohibits 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; requires direct-to-tenant payments in cases where the landlord is not cooperative with the RAFT application and documentation process; directs EOHLC to provide forward rent payments for households without rental arrearages; and directs EOHLC to provide multiple months of assistance as long as the award would not exceed the 12-month benefit cap.