CHAPA Recommendations to Governor Baker on FY2023 State Budget
The Legislature passed a $52.7 billion annual budget (H 5050) for the fiscal year 2023, which began on July 1st with an interim spending plan in place on July 18th. The FY2023 Budget is now on Governor Baker's desk. The Governor has 10 days to review it and send it back with amendments and vetoes.
Below are CHAPA's recommendations for Governor Baker on making the strongest possible budget for affordable housing, community development, and homelessness prevention.
On behalf of Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), thanks the Governor for making investments in permanent affordable housing solutions, including our state’s rental assistance programs and public housing.
Although the health crisis from the COVID-19 pandemic may be coming under control, our housing challenges remain. We now have a chance to act on equitable housing policies that can ensure long-term stability and prosperity for Massachusetts residents.
CHAPA is a non-profit organization that advocates for the resources and policies needed to support renters, homeowners, and landlords and to preserve and expand the state’s affordable housing stock to make sure everyone in the Commonwealth has a safe, healthy, and affordable place to call home.
Below are funding and language recommendations supported by CHAPA that will help bridge the key differences between the House and Senate budgets and provide the strongest support for these critical resources to help many residents stay housed and recover during this pandemic.
Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) (7004-9024)
CHAPA asks you to approve the funding level of $154 million allocated through the FY2023 budget as well as the language to allow $20 million in prior appropriations from FY2022 to continue into FY2023. This total funding of ~$175 million for MRVP will help create new rental vouchers to serve more families, produce new affordable homes, and preserve existing affordable housing critical to recovering from the pandemic.
CHAPA requests you to keep the language on establishing a payment standard, lowering tenant rent share to 30% of the household income, and allowing utilities as a part of the tenant rent payment in the budget. These changes will better align the state MRVP program with the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program making MRVP vouchers more competitive and effective to use in a tight housing market.
Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP) (7004-9030)
CHAPA asks that you support the increased appropriation of $13,600,000 allocated through the FY2023 budget as well as the language to allow $5.6 million in prior appropriations from FY2022 to continue into FY2023 for AHVP. This total funding of $19.2 million will create new rental vouchers for persons with disabilities.
Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) (7004-9316)
CHAPA asks you to support the $150 million in total appropriations for RAFT, including $60 million leftover funds from the FY2022 Supplemental budget to be carried over. This will help thousands of households in Massachusetts avoid eviction and stabilize property owners, especially as the federal emergency rental assistance has ended.
We also request that you keep the language allowing the $10,000 maximum RAFT benefit to be in place until the next year and lowering to $7,000 after. CHAPA also requests you to support the language to de-link RAFT and HomeBASE to allow eligible households to receive maximum RAFT benefit for both RAFT and HomeBASE through June 2022.
Housing Consumer Education Centers (HCECs) (7004-3036)
CHAPA requests you to support the increased funding of $9.7 million for the HCECs so they can continue to offer critical housing and eviction prevention resources. These are the frontline agencies for delivering housing resources for critical programs like RAFT and HomeBASE.
Public Housing Operating Subsidy (7004-9005)
CHAPA asks you to approve the increased funding level of $92 million for public housing operating subsidy. Unfortunately, years of underfunding before the pandemic have left many housing authorities struggling to operate and keep apartments in good repair. The additional funds will help housing authorities operate and preserve this valuable resource while ensuring health and safety of their tenants, many of whom are at increased risk of the virus because they are elderly or have a disability.
Public Housing Reform (7004-9007)
CHAPA asks you to support the funding level of $1 million for public housing reform. These reforms improve governance and operation of local housing authorities by assisting with capital improvements, unit turn over, and help support a centralized waitlist.
Home and Healthy for Good (7004-0104)
CHAPA asks that you allow for $6.3 million appropriation and language for Home and Healthy for Good (HHG) program from the Conference budget. This program helps reduce homelessness, promote housing stability, and reduce costly utilization of emergency care.
HomeBASE (7004-0108)
CHAPA requests that you adopt the total appropriation of $59,411,201 allocated through the FY2023 budget. This will offer more families an alternative to emergency shelter by providing stabilization services and up to $20,000 in financial assistance to pay rent, utilities, security deposits, and other expenses that would allow them to stay in their homes, move, or live with another family over a period of two years.
Foreclosure Prevention & Housing Counseling (7006-0011)
CHAPA asks you to support the $3.05 million appropriation for foreclosure prevention and housing counseling grants administered by the Division of Banks (DOB). These funds will help thousands of residents in Massachusetts purchase their first home and provide foreclosure counseling to help owners who are at risk of losing their home.
Tenancy Preservation Program (TPP) (7004-3045)
CHAPA asks you to support the $1.8 million appropriation for TPP, an effective homelessness prevention resource. TPP works with households with disabilities facing eviction to determine whether a disability can be reasonably accommodated in order to preserve the tenancy. Additional funds for the program will help prevent more evictions during the ongoing pandemic.
Massachusetts Accessible Housing Registry (MassAccess) (4120-4001)
Thanks to you and the Legislature for including $150,000 funding, for MassAccess, www.massaccesshousingregistry.org. The website is a searchable database of available affordable and accessible housing opportunities in Massachusetts.
The $70,000 increase will help support the replacement of MassAccess with two technologically modern websites for rentals (Housing Navigator – which is already up and running) and homeownership opportunities (MyMassHome – which needs additional funding to go live). The modest increase in funding will ensure that people can find the affordable housing that has been developed throughout the Commonwealth. In order for people to have opportunities to live in the communities they choose, it is critical that they know where affordable homes are located
Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (4000-0007)
CHAPA asks that you support the $9.5 million appropriation for housing and wraparound services for unaccompanied youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. We hope that you will support the increased appropriation to allow the program to serve more homeless youth.
New Lease for Homeless Families (7004-0106)
CHAPA asks you to support the $250,000 line-item for New Lease for Homeless Families. New Lease houses families residing in state-funded shelters and hotels by implementing a preference for these families in properties across the Commonwealth. Through New Lease, homeless families have the opportunity to live in desirable and affordable communities with the support they need to achieve successful tenancies. This appropriation will allow the program to continue serving the nearly 300 families that New Lease works with to help find and maintain homes.