CHAPA Action Alert! Immediate Action Needed to Get Additional Funding for MRVP - May 26, 2016

As the Senate heads into its third and final day of the budget debate, there is still an opportunity to get more funding for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP). Please call Senator Spilka, the Chair of Senate Ways and Means, and Senate President Rosenberg. Urge them to pass Amendment 779 filed by Senator Forry, increasing funding for MRVP and making important changes for the program to operate more efficiently. Below are the numbers for Senate Ways and Means and the Senate President’s office.

Senate Ways and Means: (617) 722-1481
Senate President Rosenberg: (617) 722-1500

MRVP Successes
MRVP provides housing stability and security to more than 7,000 households with low incomes. MRVP has helped to reduce the state’s reliance on motels to house families experiencing homelessness, increased the state’s supportive housing stock, and has been a vital tool in preserving affordable housing.
 
As always, thank you for your advocacy!

ECO 779

Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program

Ms. Forry, Mr. Moore, Ms. Lovely, Ms. L'Italien, Messrs. Lewis, Barrett and Eldridge, Ms. Chang-Diaz, Messrs. Donnelly, Joyce, Brownsberger and McGee, Ms. Donoghue, Ms. Gobi, Messrs. Boncore, Brady, Welch and Montigny, Ms. O'Connor Ives and Ms. Flanagan moved that the proposed new text be amended, in Section 2, in item 7004-9024, by inserting after the words, “household shall no longer be eligible for a voucher or to receive benefits from the voucher program;” the following - “provided further that the department approved monthly rent levels for mobile vouchers shall not be less than the current area-wide fair market rent based on unit size as established by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; provided however, that the rent level must be determined to be reasonable;” and after the words, “the Massachusetts rental voucher program into another housing subsidy program” the following: - “provided further, that notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, the department may expend up to $2,000,000 to fund the costs of a voucher management system; and provided further, that the Administration shall begin distributing any newly funded vouchers on or before August 1, 2016” and by striking out the figure "$100,000,000" and inserting in place thereof, "$120,000,000"