The House Ways and Means Committee released its FY2027 budget, H.5500, today. The $63.3 billion budget includes meaningful increases for several key housing programs. Below is a summary of where H.5500 lands on CHAPA’s priority items.
A side-by-side overview of CHAPA’s funding asks alongside FY26 GAA, Governor’s Budget (H.2), and H.5500 figures is available in CHAPA’s updated FY2027 Budget Tracker.
Rental Assistance
MRVP (7004-9024)
- H.5500 funds MRVP at $281,341,728, $28 million above FY26. This funding would support existing vouchers.
- CHAPA is requesting: $300 million, which would create approximately 1,000 new vouchers.
- What changed in policy language:H.5500 makes several policy updates:
- Restores the “not less than 75%” voucher targeting floor for households at or below 30% AMI. This keeps the program focused on households with the lowest incomes, instead of making that target optional.
- Adds mobile voucher award authority for households in project-based units whose contracts are not renewed, allowing them to keep their assistance and move rather than lose help when a contract ends.
- Lists the payment standard at 110% of fair market rent. This makes the higher payment standard clear and consistent.
- Adds a $50 per voucher per month administering agency fee floor.
- Protects continuing households from HUD fair market rent reductions. This helps shield current voucher holders if federal rent benchmarks fall later.
- Prohibits reducing subsidies for inspection costs. This helps ensure tenants do not lose rental support because of required inspections.
- Anchors new mobile voucher rent limits at 110% FMR effective July 1, 2026, with anniversary-date protection for existing leases. This sets a clear rule for new vouchers while protecting current tenants from mid-lease changes.
RAFT (7004-9316)
- H.5500 funds RAFT at $210,000,000, $2.5 million above FY26.
- CHAPA is requesting: $300 million.
- H.5500 also includes a set-aside of not less than $3 million for elders, persons with disabilities, and unaccompanied youth.
HomeBASE (7004-0108)
- H.5500 funds HomeBASE at $82,322,001, a $25 million increase over FY26.
- CHAPA is requesting: $80 million.
- H.5500 adds quarterly reporting requirements and explicitly includes hotel and motel placements in its performance targets, directing the executive office to move families out of hotels, motels, and shelters into sustainable housing.
- Two additional differences worth noting:
- H.5500 reintroduces a 12-month time limit on the income-increase ineligibility grace period. This could limit the eligibility window for families whose income has increased
- H.5500 converts the extraordinary housing crisis exception pool to a spending cap of $2.5 million.
DMH Rental Subsidy (7004-9033)
- H.5500 funds the DMH subsidy program at $20,000,000, $3.45 million above FY26. This expands support for people with mental health needs who need stable housing.
AHVP (7004-9030)
- H.5500 funds AHVP at $19,263,183, roughly $200,000 below FY26. This funding would support existing vouchers.
- CHAPA is requesting: $30 million.
- H.5500 adds a lease anniversary protection, meaning that if rent limits change, existing voucher holders are protected from any increase until their lease anniversary date. It also adds a damage termination provision and a three-element reporting requirement.
- H.5500 removes the executive office’s flexibility to set a payment standard or utility allowance that could allow households to pay less than 25% of net income. The 25% floor is now unconditional. Given that AHVP serves people with disabilities on fixed incomes like SSI, this is a change worth watching.
Re-Entry Voucher Program (7004-9034)
- H.5500 funds the Re-Entry Voucher Program at $3,000,000, $120,000 below FY26.
- H.5500 adds a six-element program design reporting requirement due October 2, 2026.
Public Housing
Public Housing Operating (7004-9005)
- H.5500 funds Public Housing Operating at $117,810,000, a $2.2 million increase over FY26.
- CHAPA is requesting: $132.9 million.
- H.5500 adds a first-preference requirement for vacant elderly public housing units, giving priority to MRVP voucher holders aged 60 and older.
Public Housing Reform (7004-9007)
- H.5500 funds Public Housing Reform at $1,243,831, roughly flat with FY26’s $1,250,000.
- CHAPA is requesting: $1.6 million.
Homelessness and Supportive Housing
Home and Healthy for Good (7004-0104)
- H.5500 funds this program at $8,890,000, matching both FY26 and CHAPA’s request.
Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (4000-0007)
- H.5500 funds this item at $10,439,590, roughly $206,000 below FY26.
- CHAPA is requesting: $15 million.
Sponsor-Based Permanent Supportive Housing (7004-0105)
- H.5500 funds this item at $10,072,875, matching FY26 and what CHAPA is requesting.
- H.5500 adds a $2.1 million minimum set-aside to sustain low-threshold sponsor-based leasing previously linked to Social Innovation Financing pay-for-success projects.
New Lease for Homeless Families (7004-0106)
- H.5500 funds this item at $250,000, matching FY26 and what CHAPA is requesting. This maintains funding for the homeless family preference program in private multi-family housing operated by New Lease for Homeless Families, Inc.
Housing Stability and Homeownership
Housing Consumer Education Centers (7004-3036)
- H.5500 funds this item at $5,200,000, $650,000 below FY26.
- CHAPA is requesting: $8,974,000.
- H.5500 adds an annual reporting requirement and a $200,000 set-aside for the Regional Housing Network of Massachusetts for coordination and information technology.
First-Time Homebuyer and Foreclosure Counseling (7006-0011)
- H.5500 funds this item at $3,000,000, doubling the FY26 level of $1,500,000.
- CHAPA is requesting: $3,050,000.
- H.5500 also makes the grant commitment mandatory, requiring the Division of Banks commissioner to expend $1,500,000 in grants rather than leaving the amount to the commissioner’s discretion. This makes the funding more dependable.
Access to Counsel (0321-1800)
- H.5500 funds this program at $3,000,000, $500,000 above FY26.
- CHAPA is requesting: $4,000,000.
MassAccess Registry (4120-4001)
- H.5500 funds this item at $150,000, matching FY26 and what CHAPA is requesting.
- This maintains support for a resource that helps connect people with accessible housing.
STASH (7004-0107)
- H.5500 includes $100,000 for local housing program administration under this line but does not include any directed funding for STASH, which provides a matched-savings program, financial literacy, and homebuyer education to help first-generation homebuyers.
- CHAPA is requesting: $1,000,000.
Administrative Capacity
EOHLC Admin (7004-0099)
- H.5500 funds EOHLC administration at $21,785,301, a $5.8 million increase over FY26.
- CHAPA is requesting: $22 million.
- H.5500 adds a mandate to maintain in-person intake offices in 10 cities and towns and a September 16, 2026 deadline for EOHLC to promulgate regulations protecting housing preference status for households receiving temporary assistance including HomeBASE.
What’s Next
While the House Ways and Means Budget maintains important housing investments, more must be done to meet the scale of housing need, especially as costs continue to rise and far too many Massachusetts residents struggle to find a home they can afford.
Over the coming weeks, the House will take up amendments to H.5500. CHAPA will be working with members and partners to advocate for the funding needed to address housing challenges across the Commonwealth. For a more detailed discussion of H.5500 and to plug into shared advocacy strategy, please join the Building Blocks Coalition. The next Building Blocks Coalition meeting will be 4/22/2026 and you can register for the meeting here.