Governor Baker Signs FY2018 Budget with $320 million in Vetoes - July 17, 2017

On July 17th, Governor Baker signed a $39.4 billion FY2018 budget. The Governor made $320 million worth of vetoes, including $222 million from MassHealth and $42 million in line-item reductions. For an overview on the funding vetoes for CHAPA's affordable housing, homelessness prevention, and community development priorities, please click here.

The final FY2018 budget includes a $6.2 million increase for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) and $150,000 more to implement public housing reforms. Also, the Governor signed the budget authorizing the statewide expansion of Housing Court. This means that 2 million people in 84 cities and towns in Barnstable, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Dukes, and Nantucket counties will now have access to a Housing Court.

Unfortunately, many other priorities faced budget and language vetoes, including:

• Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP): $400,000 veto;
   
• Public Housing Operating Subsidy: $1.5 million veto;
   
• Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT): $2 million veto and elimination of expanded eligibility to allow the elderly, persons with disabilities, or unaccompanied homeless youths to access the program;
   
• HomeBASE: veto of language that prevents families from being ineligible for the program because of a violation of a self-sufficiency plan;
   
• Foreclosure Prevention Counseling: $800,000 veto, eliminating support for HCECs from the line-item;
   
• Housing Consumer Education Centers (HCECs): $180,000 veto from the line-item eliminating earmarks;
   
• Tenancy Preservation Program (TPP): $125,000 veto;
   
• Home & Healthy for Good: $40,000 veto;
   
• Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Housing & Services: $675,000 veto, which eliminates the program from the budget; and 
   
• New Lease: $125,000 veto, which eliminates the program from the budget.

For a full analysis of all CHAPA budget priorities in the FY2018 budget signed by the Governor, click here.

The Legislature can override the Governor’s veto with a two-thirds majority vote in each branch. The House and Senate will not take up overrides of the vetoes until at least September when the Legislature returns from summer recess. CHAPA will work to restore funding and language to these important affordable housing resources. For CHAPA's letter on veto override, please click here.